At Odds
by writerzero
Summary: A misunderstanding causes a near death battle between Beast Boy and the other Titans. What will be his response to the attack? How well will they cope with the team broken. Though it will have a rocky beginning, I plan for this to end as BBxR.
1. Chapter 1

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Time: Around a year after the series ends. Most definitely does not include 'Teen Titans Go.'_

* * *

_**The Morning,... The Villains of the Day,... A Night Visit to the Kitchen,... Five Titans no More,... An Early Morning Discussion,...**_

A single green eye opened and peered around the room. Clean if not tidy. The shape shifter made a distinction between the two, even if the rest of the Titans didn't. Things scattered around on the floor made things messy, not dirty. The other eye opened, and both focused on the open window. A warm breeze blew through it, adding to the temptation to sleep in. Yawning, he resisted the urge.

Tripping over the laptop he'd placed beside the bed, it looked like a start to a normal day; there were no signs that it would mark the end of the shape shifter's place amongst the Titans. Dropping to the floor the boy started a series of vigorous exercises. He was content, if not happy.

An hour later, leaving the shower, he made sure to grab a set of ear plugs and insert them. In addition he used two more for his nose. It was the best the green-skinned Titan could do to ignore the things he didn't want to hear or smell. He then headed down to the kitchen for a plate of tofu eggs and bacon.

_Damn. Too late again. _He muttered silently to himself, seeing Cyborg and Jinx there. The two had become a couple when Kid Flash and Jinx had broke up. The two in the kitchen would make breakfast torture. They would ignore him, and focus on each other to the point of even making out. It was annoying to watch. And painful. Not that he was jealous or anything; at least not of those two.

On the other hand, he was quite willing to admit to himself that he was jealous of Boy Wonder. Two month ago Raven had found out that the Tamaranians didn't have anything like monogamy. To top it off, Starfire had invited the girl to _share _in her and Robin's relationship. The violet-haired Titan had taken her up on the offer. Recalling the event, Beast Boy frowned. He'd always had feelings for Raven, and seeing her with someone else hurt. Still, he'd decided it wasn't his business. Being short and green wasn't on the list of the top ten things a woman looked for in a partner. It was what made the ear and nose plugs necessary. With his senses it was too easy to overhear things he didn't want to. As for his sense of smell, it let him know when people did certain things that he didn't want to know about.

With a sigh, he turned away from the kitchen and headed to the gym, deciding he would grab a bite after another workout. Entering the well equipped exercise area he went to work tearing apart a punching bag. Not holding back, it soon started leaking stuffing. Not quite human, his animal DNA make him pretty strong. Combined with his knowledge of the martial arts, it meant equipment didn't often last long, at least not when he got serious. Video games and working out; the two things his life now consisted of. Still, it was better than what he'd had before he'd become a Titan. At least he had friends. Standing back for a few seconds with a small sigh, he took a breather.

Checking on the kitchen again, he noticed it was still occupied. The couple's breakfast was cold, while they were busy with other activities. With a sigh he decided to return to his room and take another shower. The last two hours of working out had made him sweaty again.

* * *

A single violet opened and peered around the room. The warm breeze was relaxing, and the girl decided a few more minutes rest wouldn't hurt. While she usually visited Robin's and Starfire's room each night, she always returned to her own for sleeping. The eye closed, and with a sigh she sank back beneath the sheets. The last few months her emotions had been for the most part well behaved. It seemed the sex helped relax her, and when it didn't Cyborg had placed a huge post in the center of her room. Weighing in at several tons, and connected to the tower's main structure, it could absorb a lot of punishment. Now when minor things annoyed her, she merely let it have its way with the huge block of titanium. It did no damage, and eventually her internal state settled back down.

Decided to spend a little time reading, she reached out and grabbed a large tome. A gift from Cyborg, it compared the history of magic between several cultures during the middle ages. It was fascinating. The girl frowned, staring at the book. It was much too heavy and too thick. Trying to open the pages she found them glued together. Minor things might be settled with the huge titanium post, but this was major. Books were her passion, and woe be to those that dared harmed her collection. _Not only that, but this was gift._ Her internal state erupted into pure chaos. Abnormally calm, she decided who might have done such a deed; not that she needed to, there was only one possible culprit. Cyborg she decided wouldn't destroy his own gift to her. Jinx loved books as much as she did. Robin didn't care what she did, and left her and her possessions alone except when she visited him and Starfire each night. Then there was the orange-skinned alien. She never harmed anyone or anything if she could help it. That left only one person: Beast Boy. For some reason he'd avoided her the last few months, but it seemed he'd returned to his old ways.

With fury in her eyes, the half demon left her bed and sent her senses out to seek the target of her rage. Fortunately he wasn't far away. Teleporting to him, she stalked her prey.

* * *

"Hey Raven. What's up." The shape shifter knew something was wrong, and tried to back away.

"You dared to sneak into my room again?" The enraged girl declared, holding out the book. "And you dared to destroy my stuff?" Her eyes glowed white, and her mouth curled up into a smile more fitting to that of a psychotic clown. For a second it appeared as if she had four glowing red eyes.

"I didn't. I swear." Sweat rolled down his back and it had nothing to do with the workout.

"Liar. Who else would destroy a book?" Her power reached out and slammed Beast Boy against the wall.

Eyes closed, he felt pain spike through the back of his head and run down his back. Barely he maintained consciousness.

"Leave my things alone." The violet-haired girl spoke. "Or next time I'll tear you apart." She threw the book at him using her magic, and it slammed into his stomach. She vanished from the hallway.

Beast Boy slumped to the ground, hurting more than he usually did after tangling with the concrete slab called Cinderblock. On the wall behind him, there was a smear of blood. Gingerly, he felt the back of his skull, and decided it wasn't anything to be too concerned about. Maybe a minor concussion but he could fix that. His stomach was tender where the book had hit him, with a huge bruise starting to form just below his ribs.

Standing, he wondered what'd happened. Raven rarely went out of control anymore, which meant something had to have set her off. Picking up the book, he examined it, noting the pages were glued together. Not his prank. _It seems Cyborg is growing bored goofing off with Jinx, and now has time left over for such gags._ Beast Boy mused. Tossing the book into a trash receptacle, he made his way to his room.

In the washroom he poured some cold water from a bottle into the sink. It was distilled, and had certain minerals added. He only needed a few drops to provide a whole ocean for his amoeba form to swim in. That was what he did for the next two hours. When he returned to his regular form, the bruise was gone and his head felt okay. With a sigh he let the water flow down the drain. He'd eaten as an amoeba, and no longer desired breakfast. Thinking about it, he thought it might be a pretty good way to avoid the hassle of the kitchen.

Deciding two hours soaking was enough to make him clean, he returned to the main section of his room where he tossed himself on his bed. Being injured usually made him sleepy.

* * *

Back in her room Raven held her head and sighed, trying to rub away an annoying minor headache. It was a pain she recognized well, being the irritating sensation she called a premonition. It'd started as soon as she'd thrown the book at the vandalizer, and from the intensity whatever it forecast was going to be major. Usually it was just a lingering dread that seemed to gather at the back of her skull, but this was something more.

Placing a kettle on a hotplate, she waited for it to boil. Some meditation with a cup of herbal tea might help, she decided, ignoring the call of her emoticlones. Nevermore was a place that reminded her she was different, and as such she hated it. Unless forced to, she never went there.

The tea gone, creating a warm sensation that spread outward from her stomach, the violet-haired girl sat and tried to find tranquility. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She intoned again and again. The sense of something bad about to happen didn't fade, nor did she find the tranquility she was seeking.

* * *

During a prison break the villains of the day were Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Adonis. Three villains and six Titans. It worked out well, letting them face each criminal at two-to-one odds. Unfortunately for Beast Boy his partner in taking down Cinderblock was Raven. It made sense for Cyborg and Jinx to group to take down Plasmus; the cybernetic teen's sonic cannon was the most effective weapon against the walking pile of toxic sludge. Robin, of course, would group with Starfire to take down Adonis. Just because he was sleeping with Raven didn't mean he thought of her in quite the same way.

"Don't mess up." Raven intoned, still mad at the annoying prankster. She rubbed her head; the impending sense of doom didn't help any.

The shape shifter shrugged. Switching into an elephant, he charged the slab of concrete, trying to trip it. Naturally it hurt. Meanwhile Raven used her dark magic to repeatedly pound the villain with a boulder. Once it might've been a car, but doing that time after time had proven to be expensive; Robin had insisted they cut costs where they could.

"Too bad you can't actually do anything useful." Raven intoned, picking up another boulder after the first one had broken. She slammed it down on the concrete slab that was trying to get up; it impacted less than an inch from the shape shifter's nose.

"Hey. Be careful." He shouted, having leapt back and changed back to his human form.

"Stop whining. It's not like your nose has any more value than the book you destroyed." She slammed the boulder down again.

"I didn't hurt any of your books." He replied, shifting into an elephant once more, and charging the villain who'd just gained his feet.

"Right." The violet-haired girl intoned. A car flew past her. "And why aren't you doing your part? Keep him on the ground, moron." She said with a sigh, definitely not sounding apathetic.

Beast Boy fumed, but decided to ignore the psychotic half demon and focus on the real target. When the boulder, said demon was wielding, repeatedly came way too close for comfort he said nothing. It was better to just get the job done and over with; to get back to the tower where he could soak as an amoeba once again to get rid of the bruises and aches caused by slamming into the giant concrete block. That and the couple of minor cuts caused by fragments of the boulder hitting him each time the violet-haired girl bludgeoned their giant foe with it.

When Cinderblock finally stopped moving, having surrendered, they stood back and waited for the authorities to come and pick it up.

"Be nice if you could do something useful." The violet-haired Titan snarked again.

The shape shifter remained quiet, fuming. He knew the girl was raging mad at having a book destroyed. It was just his misfortune to be the one blamed for it. Still, he felt like shifting into a spitting cobra and wiping that expressionless facade off her face. She was an empath, and could easily find the real culprit; she just chose not to.

* * *

Back in the tower Beast Boy took another two hour swim. Being an amoeba was quickly becoming a pain. There wasn't much he could do in that form other than swim and mope. The very simple form might let him heal wounds quickly, but he knew the continuous monologue raging in his mind against a certain witch didn't help matters any.

Deciding no one would be in the kitchen at this late hour, he made his way down to the fridge, hoping to eat real human food, and not just the yeast cells he'd sprinkled in the water he used for healing. His sensitive eyes, not needing much light to see, enabled him to make his way to the fridge without turning on any lights. He opened the door and light spilled out. Suddenly the world turned upside down and he was slammed repeatedly into the side of the wall.

Looking, he knew immediately what'd happened. Robin, Starfire, and Raven had, for whatever reason, decided to use the commons room for things it wasn't meant to be used for. With his ear and nose plugs in, he had neither heard nor smelled them . Nor had he needed to look in that direction to get to the fridge.

"Pervert." Raven yelled, covering herself. She slammed him into the wall again. "Pervert." She coldly intoned, clearly raging mad.

_Idiots. _He though, wondering how stupid they must've been to think their activities in the commons room, which contained the kitchen area, wouldn't have been eventually discovered. His back was a mass of pain again; that, he decided, was getting pretty old.

"I didn't see you there." He attempted to say, trying not to respond in kind. That wouldn't help things at all.

"Right." The violet-haired girl mocked. "The boy with a dog's nose and a dog's ears didn't know we were here. How stupid do you think we are?" She demanded.

"How stupid do you think I would be to open a fridge, which has a light, if I was trying to hide." He countered. The response seemed to make her madder.

"Moron." She yelled, slamming him into the wall again.

"Please, friend Raven, let friend Beast Boy go." Starfire tried to calm matters down.

He was slammed against the wall twice more before the orange-skinned alien placed herself between him and the raging girl. Despite the pain, the view was nice. It seemed Tamaranians had little modesty at times. But more importantly, he really appreciated her successful attempt to have him released. Free, he left for his room.

Once again it was two hours as an amoeba. This time he ate his fill of yeast, and didn't try to stop his internal monologue against the psychotic witch. If that was suppressing her emotions, he thought he would take a sociopathic monster like Slade over her any day.

Eventually he returned to his human form, realizing out of the whole day he'd spent six hours as an amoeba healing. It was way too much. Still it ensured he would get a good nights sleep. Or so he thought.

* * *

A pounding on the door roused him from his deep sleep. Slow to answer it, it was forced open to reveal Cyborg.

"We would like a word with you." The cybernetic teen coldly stated, radiating hostility.

With a sigh, Beast Boy stood. "What about?" He asked, knowing it wasn't going to be good.

"The meeting room. Now." Was the only response.

He entered the room to see Robin and Raven waiting. Cyborg left, closing the door with a slam behind him. With a sigh he removed the ear plugs so he could hear the conversation. As an after though, he also took out the nose plugs. This would be too important to not have his senses fully working. Among the obvious odors telling him what the two had been up to earlier, he sensed intense rage. The scent of it flooded his nose, and the pace of their two heart beats confirmed it.

'What's up?" He asked, tired.

"We have video images of you sneaking into our rooms." Robin stated. "And leaving with certain items. Mind explaining." It wasn't a request.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." The shape shifter honestly replied.

"Just like you have no idea about the book." Raven intoned coldly. "Confess Beast Boy. The security system caught you."

"Since I didn't do it, it couldn't have caught me." He shrugged. "Let me see the tapes."

"There's no need of that." Robin answered, voice radiating intense hostility. "We've seen the footage."

"So I don't even get to see the evidence you have against me?" Disbelief filled the shape shifter's voice. These were the people he'd thought were his friends.

"There's no need." Raven reiterated her boyfriend's words. "All that's left to decide is what to do with you."

He gulped, frowning as he looked from one face to the other. There was no compassion in either one. "You don't get to decide anything until I've seen the evidence." He stated.

"You'll be removed as a Titan." Robin spoke, ignoring the comment. "Be thankful that's it. We could easily have made this into a legal matter. You would've served time in jail."

Fury erupted in Beast Boy, while the premonition that'd been haunting Raven all day suddenly increased to a blinding headache.

"You think you're a detective." The shape shifter mocked. "All you really are is a Slade wannabe. You act just like him. An obsessive, obnoxious, jerk."

Boy Wonder froze. "Maybe we should call the police on this." He replied with barely contained rage.

"Why don't we?" Beast Boy responded. "At least with them I would get a lawyer and a trail. More than what I'm getting from you two psychotic lunatics."

"Please be reasonable." Raven intoned, suddenly acutely aware she should've visited Nevermore to talk about the premonition with Knowledge. That things were about to get bad was guaranteed. She frowned.

"Oh. Right. Reasonable." The ex-Titan's voice oozed sarcasm. "Since when does the ice witch care about reason? Right or wrong you just lash out. How about we do call the police? How many cases of aggravated assault do you think you're responsible for. There was two just today."

"You will apologize to her, now." Robin spoke.

"Make me, little Slade wannabe." Beast Boy growled at his former leader.

"Freak." Robin roared, speaking in anger.

Raven froze, hearing the word. "We need to be calm or something bad is going to happen." She intoned, her expression hinting of worry. Her words were ignored.

"Oh. Poor little Birdie Boy is angry." Mocked the Shape Shifter. "Big words, no action."

"You want action." Boy Wonder leapt into action, his fist aimed direction for his target's throat.

Beast Boy stepped into the attack, driving his own fist into the attacker's solar plexus, sending him flying back through the air.

"Stop!" Raven ordered, looking to see if Robin was okay. He was. "We can just show him the evidence." She stated.

The acrobat had twisted his body to absorb the blow, taking only minor damage. "You're going to wish you'd never heard of the Titans he growled." All reason gone.

"Make me, Little Mr. Slade Wannabe." The taunt was growled by Beast Boy.

Raven decided it was time to separate the two. It puzzled her that she hadn't just placed a barrier around Beast Boy earlier. Letting him see the evidence against him was only reasonable. He would see it, and know he was caught red-handed. She would argue that he just be allowed to leave as if none of this had happened... It was too late.

The two attacked each other with the skill and speed that only master martial artists could. Robin, despite being human, had inhuman reflexes. That and his skill made him formidable. But his opponent had greater strength, with reflexes that were almost as fast. That he'd spent the last few months practically nonstop in the gym didn't hurt. That, with a greater ability to absorb damage, made the battle nearly even.

Raven gulped as the two attacked each other with a ferocity that was unnerving. The speed at which they twisted and turned, launching and evading blows, made it impossible for her to single the shape shifter out. Then there was the premonition that was pounding on her skull, hindering her ability to concentrate.

"I'm going to rip you in two." Boy Wonder panted.

"Try it." Beast Boy growled the response. Another benefit of his animal DNA was enhanced endurance. He might have to leave the Titans, but he would leave with their so-called leader soundly beaten. And he would do it without using any of his animal forms.

"Stop." Raven pleaded, trying to focus on one of them, no longer caring who it was so long as she stopped the fight. The premonition pounded in her skull, nearly blinding her.

Beyond reason, his stamina starting to fail, Robin reached for his weapons. Instinctively he pulled out an electric disc, and tossed it. The movement was swift and precise, done before his foe could note the change from unarmed combat to the usage of weapons. The disc hit soundly and he expected the charge to knocked the annoying brat to the floor, unconscious. It was with shock he realized the object he thrown wasn't an electric disc, it was an explosive one.

The premonition peaked, bringing her to her knees. Then it faded.

Beast Boy saw the movement too late to dodge. Stunned to see it was an explosive disc, he knew if it hit it would kill him. Only years of training saved his life. Instinctively he became an elephant, and allowed the larger creature to absorb the blow. It actually knocked the large animal back a foot, creating a massive wound.

For a second there was a pause in the fight as both Raven and Robin stared, shocked.

_He tried to kill me! _Was the stunned response that echoed in Beast Boy's mind. The wound, that covered a section of his chest, ached and poured forth blood.

"Beast Boy are y..." Robin started to say. He barely had time to react as the shape shifter resumed the attack.

Raven's face paled as she watch the attack. Before it'd been merely ferocious, now it was pure savagery. Beast Boy, she knew, believed Robin had tried to kill him, and on that account she was shocked herself. The master fighter never made a mistake, but she knew he just had. There'd been no intent to kill the shape shifter. She also knew it was useless to try to explain that.

"Stop." Robin cried, holding his bo staff against the wall, trying to use it as a spear to stop the charing elephant.

Knowing only rage he charged, swerving at the last second to avoid the spear. His form changed to that of a huge two thousand pound crocodile that was twenty feet long. His tail lashed at Boy Wonder, quite capable of snapping him in two.

The acrobat leapt over the tail, whipping the bo staff down on the creature's head. It didn't even leave a mark.

He twisted around to follow his foe, hampered by his large size in the too small room. His form shifted back to that of a cheetah. The fastest and most agile creature on the land leapt at his foe with a speed that left him only a blur to the human eye. Vaguely he noted the black barrier that marked the spot where he'd just been. _She knows he tried to kill me, and she'd trying to help him. _To his animal instincts she was marked as an enemy.

Boy Wonder ducked, and rolled under the cheetah. In the amount of time he had, it was all he could do. Nothing could match the creature's speed.

In a feat that was amazing even for the shape shifter, he switched to the form of a bird, used its wings to alter his trajectory, and reverted back to the large cat. His claws swiped, rending his opponent unconscious with four lines of red marking his cheek.

She gasped in horror, wondering if her boyfriend was still alive as the great cat turned to face her. Thankfully her empathic senses told her he was, but that still left the cat. Fear and anger drove her, and she brutally struck out.

Seeing her intent to attack, he altered his shape to that of a great ape. Picking up his now unconscious foe, he held him out as a shield, expecting the half demon wouldn't attack. That surely there'd been some mistake, and she hadn't meant to kill him. The massive hand of dark magic that lashed out was barely avoided as he changed to a cheetah again and leapt; Robin was left behind in his place.

She gasped in shock as the hand, rather than imprisoning Beast Boy against the wall, slammed Robin into it. And not gently. She'd been to emotional for that; blood began to pour from her boyfriend and run down the wall. She withdrew her magic, trying not to harm him any more than she'd already had. She turned to face the great cat. It was looking at Robin, and she could read its expression. He now thought she'd tried to kill him; she couldn't blame the boy for that.

"Please." She said. "I need to get Robin to the clinic."

He reverted back to his human form. "Why should I care? He tried to kill me. You tried to kill me. If this was about guilt over something you could've proven my innocence with a simple touch. You are an empath right?" He charged as an elephant, only to be blocked by one of her shields. It trembled beneath his onslaught, yet held.

Wishing she'd paid heed to the premonition, she wondered what to do. Her shield could block Beast Boy easily; she was the stronger member of the team. Still, she needed to grab Robin and teleport to the clinic, and then get the other team members. They could hold off the shape shifter while she healed Robin. She was wrong about her shield.

He turned, blurred as a cheetah again, and leapt at the wall. His powerful legs absorbed the impact, and threw him back at over fifty miles per hours. Reverted to an elephant again, his kinetic energy was just sufficient to crack the barrier as he smashed into it. Dazed from the impact, he still remained enough sense to carry out the rest of his plan. He became a spitting cobra, and spat venom at the girl from less than three feet.

The shock of having her barrier broke slowed her thinking for just a second. Then something was burning in her eyes. She was blind, and her barriers it seemed weren't quite as shape shifter resistant as she'd thought. She need to teleport away, but now she couldn't even see her boyfriend. She formed another barrier, and tried to grab hold of him using her empathic senses. The pain in her eyes she ignored.

He used the same trick to shatter the barrier once more, feeling something inside him break as well when he did so. Yet it did the trick, and this time he immediately changed form to a cheetah and lashed out with his paw. She fell unconscious. He turned as the door opened to see Cyborg staring in shock.

"Beast Boy. What've you done." The Cybernetic teen asked, his one human eye wide.

He became human again. "They attacked me." He stated.

The cyborg shook his head. "They were just going to toss you off the team. You deserved it for doing the things you did." He looked around in shock.

"You got a sonic analyzer." The shape shifter pointed out. "You could have found out if I was ly..." He switched to a cheetah again and dodged. The sonic boom of the cannon punched a hole through the wall.

Cyborg stared. "I ... I didn't turn it down." He tried to explain." His human eye blinking. He turned to face Beast Boy again. "Settle dow..." He didn't get a change to finished.

However much of the cybernetic teen was titanium, a part of him was still human. That part couldn't hope to match the speed to the cheetah. It launched itself at the foe who'd just tried to kill him with death in its eyes. It met a titanium barrier and was flung back. Whirling around, it dodged the sonic blasts from its foes cannon, which was now set to nonlethal.

"Calm down B." Cyborg tried again. "I get them to the clinic and make sure they're okay, then I can give you a chance to explain. I'll listen."

_Right. _The Shape Shifter fumed. _As if I'm dumb enough to believe the person who just blasted out the wall behind me. _He studied his foe. Titanium was strong, but the gears inside had their limits. His cat form blurred, and at sixty miles per hour he became a seven ton elephant whose speed and mass smashed its way through his foe, sending him flying. When the cybernetic teen tried to rise, he repeated the move. And then a third time. After that the third person who'd tried to kill him in the last hour remained still.

"Friend Beast Boy. What have you done?" The orange-skinned alien stood in the doorway.

Studying her expression, Beast Boy knew there was no chance to explain. _As if she would believe me anyway, and that's assuming she isn't in on it._ He mused. The rays that came from her eyes ripped through the floor, and it was obvious she meant to kill. The cheetah leapt to one side, easily more nimble than the alien. But the endurance of the large cat was quickly fading. He studied the girl who was super strong, and could throw energy bolts. Everything had a weakness. She was no exception; she needed to see to aim those starbolts.

He became a humming bird that evaded the onslaught that came his way. Hovering just a few feet from the girl, he waiting until she was focused on her attack. In her rage it didn't really matter. Then he dodged to a foot below her level, and became a spitting cobra again. The orange-skinned Titan blinked, but the venom didn't seem to cause her any pain. Still it would blind her sight for a few seconds, and he swiftly took advantage of it. As a crocodile he lashed at her with his tail time and time again. It hurt to strike something that strong, still it hit her, bouncing her off the walls.

When starbolts came his way again, he became a cheetah and evaded them. With his body overheating, that being a major weakness of being a cheetah, he used his paw to flip a pillow up at her. He followed behind it as a humming bird. She destroyed the pillow, but he survived with just a few singed feathers. Soon she was blind again, and he resumed battering her as a crocodile.

She was easily the toughest foe of the night, but still she couldn't throw a continuous barrage of starbolts forever. Soon she slowed due to exhaustion, and a final swing of his tail knocked her down.

Beast Boy stared at the still forms of his four ex-friends; at the four people who he would've trusted with his life, and who he believed had tried to kill him. Turning, he fled the building, bruised and battered. He was close to death, and wasn't even sure if spending time as an amoeba would let him survive. He staggered, and tried to use a bird form to get far away. He collapsed, and just managed to crawl to the ocean where he became an amoeba.

* * *

Raven slowly opened her eyes; they hurt and she was half blind. Time in a healing trance would fix that, but it would have to wait. She looked around. Robin was in a bed next to her, while Starfire was in another. Cyborg was sitting in a chair. Relief flooded her, until she noticed Beast Boy was absent, leaving her wondering if he was dead. Surely if he'd been alive Cyborg would've had him here too. Restrained, but still here.

"Where ..." She tried to speak.

"You're awake." Cyborg stood and slowly walked over to her. Clearly he was still damaged.

She blinked, and tried to talk again.

"You'll be okay." The cybernetic teen told her. "You were knocked out, with some slight gashes in the process. It would heal normally even on a regular person. Your eyes though will require you to use a healing trance."

"The others?" She asked.

"Starfire is okay. She merely exhausted herself and was knocked out as well. Robin is pretty bad. I think Beast Boy just knocked him out too, but ..." He went silent.

She understood. Thinking they'd been trying to kill him, the shape shifter had fought savagely to survived, but he hadn't tried to kill in return. Her boyfriend's injuries were mostly her fault from when she'd accidentally smashed him into a wall. "How bad?"

"Nothing you won't be able to fix." Came the reply. "But outside of that he would be paralyzed for life."

"And you?" She asked, trying to suppress the guilt.

"I'm okay. My more delicate circuits need repairs, and my human part needs some time to heal, but other than that." He shrugged. "I'm glad Jinx didn't show up. I've looked at the security footage from the room. Was pretty much one of us one after the other. And he took us all down." There was disbelief in the cybernetic teen's voice.

"How is he?" She dared to ask.

"I don't know." A worried expression crossed Cyborg's face. "He was pretty banged up. Without medical attention ..." The cybernetic teen frowned. "He didn't walk from the tower, he crawled, and pretty slowly at that."

"The tapes show he's guilty right?" She asked, knowing they did. She'd seen them.

"They do." Cyborg looked away. "Still, I should've used my sonic analyzer to see if he was lying, because ..." He took a deep breath. "There's something wrong with the tapes. I looked at them again while waiting for you to regain consciousness. I think they were altered."

"Altered." She frowned. "If I'd just used my empathic senses I could've ..." She paused. "Why didn't we?" She asked.

"Because we already knew the truth. Or so we believed." He answered.

"I was so angry at him. The book he destroyed. Walking in on me and ..." She paused.

Cyborg twitched at the mention of the book.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Stories never end the way I plan them (so I never plan them), but this will be BBxR. Though in the storyline it certainly won't happen anytime soon._

_The updates should be reasonably fast, but not every day._

_Why would Raven take up such an offer? Why not? From the series we see her giving and receiving hugs. She lets Malchior hold her in a romantic way. She certainly is capable of romantic feelings without blowing every light bulb in Jump City. The act itself is an entirely different question, but I would think anger that would allow Rage to escape would be the last thing she would feel during such an event. When Trigon is defeated Robin is the one she hugs. Who else would she decide to have a relationship with? Cyborg who's involved with Jinx? I doubt the hex casting girl would be willing to share. Beast Boy she believes to be immature. Okay as a friend, but not boyfriend material. If she wants someone who knows her and accepts her, then her only option, in her mind, would be Robin. For now at least. That will change._

_I certainly agree that 'at this point' Beast Boy shouldn't go back. But I wonder what could happen to change that. Something that could change the whole picture around. Not just make it so that he would tolerate going back, but actually reinforce his trust in his (ex-)friends._

_Robin won't remain crippled. Raven will heal him. And he and Starfire will remain a couple. He isn't exactly my favorite character either, but he isn't a bad guy. Just so obsessed at times that it borders on the psychotic. _

_As a little spoiler: I wonder in their guilt, what will they miss?_

_Time: Four hours later._

* * *

_**Another Meeting,... Nevermore No-more,... Searching,... Life as an Amoeba,... Trying to Sleep,...**_

Dead tired, with her eyes closed, sleep refused to come to the violet-haired girl. Cyborg and Starfire didn't need her healing touch while her own injuries could wait. Robin's near fatal contact with a steel wall, on the other hand, had taken everything she'd had. Or almost. She'd left some in reserve just in case they found Beast Boy. According to Cyborg the first thing he'd done after dragging them to the clinic was to order the individual modules of the T-ship to do an automatic search for the shape shifter. So far there'd been no word. She sighed, and turned, being sure to keep her eyes closed. The venom had been washed out, but the damage had been done. Until they healed it hurt to open them. _Not as much as he's hurting right now. _She though harshly, wondering what'd gone so wrong. _If only I'd listened to that premonition. If only I'd went to Nevermore._ She turned again, condemning herself.

"There's a meeting in five." Cyborg's voice came from the doorway.

"Okay." Raven intoned, recalling how well the last one had went. She forced her aching body up, and headed for the meeting. Painfully she looked around. The table that should've been in the center of the room had been smashed flat. Despite being steel, it'd easily crumpled beneath the seven ton weight of a bull elephant. The walls, also made of steel, were half gone. The one facing outside had been destroyed by a sonic cannon blast set to max, while the others had been bent and buckled during Beast Boy's fight with Starfire. Every bit of the original equipment and furniture in the room was lying shattered on the floor. Cyborg had set up some chairs and a screen with a computer attached for the meeting. Seeing there were six chairs, the girl cringed. With Jinx present there should've been six Titans, but of course there were only five. _What were we thinking. _She wondered, taking a seat to the left of Robin. Starfire was to his right.

"Ahem." Cyborg cleared his throat to get their attention. "Since I'm the one with the most information I'll be chairing this meeting." He needlessly stated. There was a long pause as he stared at the floor, flexing his hands. "First of all, Raven, I'm sorry." He took a book and handed it to her.

She looked at it puzzled. When she'd last seen it it'd been destroyed with its pages glued together. Peering at it closely she made sure it was the right tome. It was. It even had her bookmark marking the page she'd last read. She looked up.

"It was meant to be a joke." The cybernetic teen answered her unspoken question. "The shop had two copies. I gave you the better one, and ..." He shrugged. "I'm sure you can figure the rest out. I hadn't played a joke in such a long time and it was too good an opportunity to pass up." He looked away.

"How did you know I would blame Beast Bo..." She let her voice fade. She could've found the real culprit easily. It would've taken seconds to ask Beast Boy if he'd been the one to destroy the book. To touch him and listen with her empathic senses. Instead she'd just lashed out, assuming. She was that predictable. Her black magic coated the tome, and she deliberately shredded it, letting the remains fall to the floor. No one asked her why she'd done it; it was obvious. "Continue." She intoned.

Cyborg returned to the front of the room. "First of all, a summary of how our security system works. The main areas are covered twenty-four/seven with cameras that keep a forty-eight hour record of what they see. After that the old data is overwritten. It allows us to expect privacy even outside of our rooms while maintaining evidence should we need it. Unless something happens, no one sees it. A glitch in the system caused me to check one of the cameras. It had this footage." He hit a button.

They all paid close attention as a video showed Beast Boy entering Starfire's room, and then leaving. There was what appeared to be a camera in his hands. A second video played after the first, showing the same activity outside of Raven's room. A third one showed the same for Jinx's room.

Blushing, Cyborg turned back to the group. "What we assumed is pretty obvious. A teenage boy with a camera sneaking around the rooms of the female members of the team." He shrugged. "We were wrong. I've analyzed the images, and checked the other cameras. Beast Boy was in the gym at the time the cameras recorded that. Someone hacked our system and placed false images on the tapes." There was silence in the room.

"You sure?" Robin asked.

Cyborg nodded. "The ones outside of the girls' rooms weren't real. The cameras records infrared energy, along with other wavelengths humans can't normally see. When I checked those only the video of the gym showed body heat. The rest were faked."

Boy Wondered closed his eyes. "A year ago we would've given him the benefit of the doubt." He sighed. "But given recent changes I guess we were all too embarrassed by what he might have seen."

"The T-ship find anything yet?" Raven asked, cringing as she considered just how little effort it would've taken to find out the truth. Five seconds to ask the question, one to listen to his response. Six seconds. Robin was right. She'd been embarrassed, and scared, of what he might've seen. That he'd spotted them in the commons room was bad enough. _That was probably a misunderstanding too. _She admitted to herself._ And we shouldn't have been there in the first place._

"No trace." Cyborg replied.

"Is he still alive?" She intoned the question, wondering what she would do if she'd killed him. And it was her fault. If only she'd ... The violet-haired girl sighed.

There was a long pause before the cybernetic teen answered. "I'm not sure."

"But he beat us." Robin interjected, speaking as if he still didn't believe it. "Why would he be ..." His voice trailed off.

"He beat us." Cyborg replied. "But he crawled away from the fight. The cameras show him taking ten minutes just to get as far as the ocean, leaving a trail of blood the whole way. Then he just disappeared. If he was normal I would say he was ..." The teen halted for a second, and then shrugged. "But he's not so he's probably alive. There was no sign of a body." There was fake confidence in the voice.

"What about my discs?" Boy Wonder asked.

Cyborg played more footage, showing the fight between Robin and the Beast Boy. He highlighted two points of the video. One showed Robin's belt in its proper place, the other with it twisted around a bit. "If you'd thought there was going to be a fight it wouldn't have happened. As it was you must've hurried getting dressed for the meeting. The fight was enough to cause the belt, and the satchel, to move a little. As far as I can tell it was just bad luck and lack of preparation that caused you to grab the wrong disc."

"Not quite." The boy replied with his eyes closed. "There's a different symbol engraved on each one. It lets me make sure I'm using the right disc. But I was so angry. Angry at what I believed he'd done, angry that he was beating me." He paused. "I was especially angry that he was beating me. I didn't feel the symbol, and threw anyway."

"I know what went wrong with my powers." Raven intoned, staring ahead expressionlessly. "Emotions. If I'd acted before the fight started, I could've prevented it. Then when I did I lost control. So when do I go to jail?"

"Jail?" Robin asked.

"When you thought he'd hurt me when he became the beast, you were quite willing to put him in jail. The same logic applies. I failed to stop the fight, and I hurt you in the process. Beast Boy may be dead. It's worse than anything he did as the beast. When do I go to jail?"

Silence reigned in the room as everyone but Jinx realized the same applied to them. Cyborg had attacked without giving the shape shifter a chance to explain. And when he had, it'd been with deadly force. Starfire had also attacked immediately with intent to seriously maim, if not kill. That both of them had been shocked at what they'd seen didn't excuse it.

"What now?" Raven asked, breaking the silence.

"We continue to search for him." Robin said. "When we find him we'll..." He sighed. "There's no way he'll believe it was a misunderstanding, or that we didn't mean to kill him. But we'll know he's okay, and if he ever needs help we'll provide it somehow."

They each looked around, knowing the Teen Titans would never be the same. There would always be one of them missing, and they would always know it was their fault.

* * *

She sat on her bed, preparing for a long overdue trip to Nevermore. A minute later she was in Happy's forest. Stunned, she could only stare. Things, she knew, were going to be bad here too. Very bad. The trees were weathered skeletons, the bright yellow sky was a putrid gross yellow, and the floating strawberries were gone. Holding her cloak over her mouth, she tried not to gag. Reaching out with her senses, she could detect no signs of Knowledge within the decaying forest.

Taking to the air, she surveyed the land around her. Timid's labyrinth had shrunk in on itself. As far as she could see there was no entrance or exit. Even the top was covered in stone. That was where she found the yellow-clad emoticlone.

"What do you want?" Came the abrasive greeting.

"The premonition?" Raven started.

"Too late." Knowledge replied. "Perhaps he's still alive, perhaps he isn't. Either way he's not a part of your life anymore, so forget him."

The violet-haired girl took a step back, shocked at the tone of voice her emoticlone was using. "What happened to Happy and Timid?" She asked.

"What do you expect? Timid, among her other traits, embodies your sadness. Happy embodies your happiness. This event has had a drastic affect on both of them. Forget them too. They're gone, or might as well be."

"Happy gone?" Raven sat down hard on the cold stone.

"Happiness isn't infinite. It can be broken down and cast aside. She liked Beast Boy, and now he's most likely dead. It will take a long time for her to recover, assuming she ever does."

"And Timid."

"The same. She liked Beast Boy. He was kind and gentle, the sort of person who wouldn't hate her for being weak. Now he's dead. She doesn't care to even try to overcome her nature anymore. She's retreated within her labyrinth."

"Oh." Raven frowned and looked around. "I thought I was doing so good but ..."

"You were." The yellow-clad emoticlone finally turned to face her. "During the years with the Titans you learned to live. Sex was a really good way to help you control your dark magic. It created a lot of positive feelings, and then spent them in a harmless way. It strengthen Happy, even if it wasn't the person she truly desired. The connections you formed during the act eased Timid's loneliness. I was curious, and it satisfied that need as well. It helped ground any dark impulses that might've run out of control, alleviating Rage's darker nature. And when you needed it, there was the titanium post Cyborg built for you to release minor frustrations on. It was working, and would've kept working if you'd kept meditating, if you'd heeded our advice. But it's too late now."

"He might not be dead." Raven stated, knowing the hope was slim. She'd watched the video of Beast Boy crawling to the water.

"To you he is. If he's still alive you can never be more than enemies."

"He was one of my first friends ..."

"Precisely, _'was' _one of your first friends. As you've already noted, it would only have taken six seconds to confirm or deny his guilt. Apparently that was too much effort for you. How much of a friend were you to him then?"

"Not very." The trembling girl admitted, crying.

The emoticlone sighed. "What's done is done. My last bit of advice to you is to just keep marching forward. If he's still alive then who knows?" She shrugged. "He's certainly forgiven you a lot before. Now leave."

Raven rose and left, cast aside by that which was a part of her very being.

* * *

"Any sign?" She asked Cyborg.

"Sorry Raven." The cybernetic teen replied. "We've called in Titans East and we've got hundreds of volunteers from Jump City. Still, nothing."

She nodded. "I'm going to search too. Where should I go?"

He turned to looked at her haggard appearance. "You sure you're up to it?"

"I am. Just point me to an area." Her voice dared him to contradict her.

"Okay. Hrm." He looked at a map. "Actually, according to the tides, if he was an amoeba he would've been carried around there." He pointed at a spot just four miles away. "It's been checked several times, but if he's still in that shape and trying to heal no one would detect him. Your empathic senses might. Starfire's searching the area just north of it."

"Okay." Outside the tower she levitated and headed to the area. Flying close to the surface, she reached out with her mind. Her blurred vision was useless, and she'd decided it would remain that way until he was found safe. Several hours later, drained, she practically crash landed on one of the boats that was searching.

* * *

_Not paying attention as an amoeba is pretty dangerous. _Beast Boy mused. The currents had pushed him close to several large mussels which saw his kind as food. Frantically he tried to resist the current, and ended up having to become a small goldfish that could swim against it. Unfortunately the bleeding goldfish drew the attention of another small predator, and he ended up having to shift to a larger form to remain safe. Or at least sort of safe, since it meant he was now bleeding rapidly. Finding a secure spot on a nice rock, he returned to being an amoeba. _Crisis averted. _He thought.

The shape shifter took stock of his situation. That he would live wasn't guaranteed, but he now thought it probably. A few more hours and his cell membrane would be repaired. His internals were a different matter, but so long as nothing ate him it was just a matter of time. The ocean was filled with food, and provided everything he could possibly need.

The events that'd led up to his current situation was thrust violently aside. If he dwelled on that he would die; something would make him a snack of him as he was obsessing, and it would be game over. Still, he wondered what he would do. Those he'd thought were his friends had turned against him. Why? That was puzzling. That he could trust them with his life had been an absolute.

_The future?_ He forced himself to think about that, and not the past. Briefly he considered returning to Jump City as a villain. That would be interesting. But jail didn't really appeal to him. Then again ... He let a few plots roll through his mind; what he could do if he recruited a few allies like Billy Numerous. It would be easy to make the Titan's sweat a little. He would've sighed if he could. Doing that would gain him nothing. What he wanted was some place far away. Somewhere where he could forget them, especially a certain violet-eyed girl.

Another one of the many holes in his cell membrane closed, and he was that closer to full health. With nothing but his own thoughts to pass the time with, he decided he would kill for a video game to play. The though led to memories of Cyborg and he would've cringed if he could.

Strangely enough, through it all, the driving force that kept him going was something he'd learned from a violet-eyed half-demon who'd been destined to destroy the world. From the day he'd met her he'd known she was courageous. He'd smelt her fear, the despair she'd carried, and had seen her face each day despite it. It was one of the many things that'd attracted him to her. Reaching out, he grabbed a small algae and engulfed the poor creature. He would heal and then decide his future. The world was vast and he was certain he would find his place in it.

* * *

The violet-eyed girl tried to sleep again, and failed. They'd searched for Beast Boy the whole day without seeing a single sign of him. That wasn't surprising given he was a shape shifter. How could you find something when it could be invisibly hidden right under your nose? For all they knew he could be in the exact same spot where he'd disappeared. Either alive and healing, or dead and decaying. She shuddered at the thought. _He has to be alive. _She told herself._ And I need to rest so I can search again. He can hide from everyone else, but my senses can find him. _She turned in the bed, needing to rest to regain her energy. The image of how he'd hugged her when they'd defeated Trigon came to her. It hurt to recall that. His sheer joy at seeing her alive and okay had been so ... She would've called it overwhelming, but it hadn't been. It'd been comforting. She wept, the tearing causing agony in her damaged eyes.

* * *

The next chapter.

Nevermore has certainly changed. Wonder where Beast Boy will end up.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_I agree that Beast Boy's potential in the show is vastly underrated._

_Given he'd spent months in the gym working off his frustration, perhaps it isn't so amazing he beat them. But there's another element to that that won't be revealed for a few chapters yet. But it was one-on-one, if he were to face the full team I'm sure he would be black and blue rather than green._

_There will be a trial, and they will have to answer for what they did. Maybe, sort off. We'll see. The outcome of it will be shown, but not the trial itself._

_Will Beast Boy date/sleep with a few girls? I was wondering about that myself. Unless it's a character I make up it might be difficult. I'm not too familiar with the girls of the DC universe. The Teen Titans is just a show I ran into while taking a break from writing Kim Possible fiction. Blackfire is definitely out. Took a look at a website for Batgirl but good grief there're so many different Batgirls. I'm overwhelmed. I will make a quick google search of the other two you mentioned and see. I want him to have at least one fling._

_Beast Boy overpowered. Maybe, but there will be more about that particular fight in a later chapter. I'm guessing around chapter nine or so._

_Hrm. Aqualad. If Beast Boy can assume forms of intelligent creatures, that would be a good shape. It would even allow him to talk while in it. Not sure if I will allow that in this particular story. Would two intelligences in the same body clash? The Atlantean form would be intelligent and conscious, while Beast Boy would inhabit the same body, also intelligent and conscious. I would have him hunt down Malchior again, but that would be too repetitive, I think. Still, I love the idea of him using a dragon form._

_Time skips. Chapters will have some time skips, maybe a month or two each, to show the passing of time, and yet show how things are progressing._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**The Search,... The Minion of a new Villain,... No News,... Beast Boy and Decisions,...**_

The green-skinned dolphin swam over the muddy sea bottom idly thinking about human topics. As a Titan he'd gotten an allowance from Robin, who was backed by a certain very rich individual from Gotham City. Without that income Beast Boy knew life would be pretty miserable; it was something he'd tried. Work for people with green skin wasn't exactly plentiful. Employers saw the strange coloring, along with the pointed ears, and were either calling an ambulance, or looking up the number for a vet. Before he'd joined Boy Wonder he'd even had people try to catch him, thinking he was an alien.

The shape shifter sent out pulses of sound, scanning the bottom once again. There was no way he was facing the human world without money. It seemed people tended to believe if you had money, then you had to be human. It opened a lot of doors. Such as take-out food, and a place to crash should he want it. And for all that he could be any one of more than several hundred animals, a place to call home would be nice. So he spent hour after hour scanning the sea floor.

A few hours earlier he'd crawled ashore on the banks of Spark City; a place well known for matches and candles. There he'd stolen some clothes and headed to the library. An hour of searching had found the likely location of several sunken ships. With his innate sense of how currents worked, he was searching for them. Several times his sonar had sent back images of what appeared to be a mast of an old fashion sailing ship. Each time it'd been a mistake.

Then he'd got lucky. A school of dolphins had passed by and he'd tried talking to them. The area he was currently in should have what he was looking for. Still it was several square miles to examine. With a mental sigh he continued the search.

* * *

The alarm sounded through the tower, and wearily she forced herself to her feet. Each day she'd searched and searched, only to find nothing. But now there was a villain to fight, and she could barely move. She staggered to the door, unable to summon enough energy to teleport.

"It's a new foe." Robin said, less enthusiastic than he once would've. Turning he looked at Raven. "You're not coming." His eyes roamed over her, taking in her disheveled appearance.

"I'm okay." The girl insisted, sitting down. Her head was tilted as she stared back at him, her eyes unable to focus.

"At least heal your eyes, friend Raven." Starfire frowned, obviously concerned.

"I will." The violet-eyed girl replied. "When it's time. When I find him." She was aware of the others looking at her with despair.

"How can you fight when you're half blind?" Their leader asked.

"I can see well enough for that. It's just the finer details I have trouble with." Raven insisted, not backing down. She heard a chorus of sighs.

"Okay." Boy Wonder relented. "But stay back and do what you can from a distance. We all know you can't see well enough to be in the middle of a fight."

She nodded, willing to meet him halfway. "Okay." It was her usual method of fighting anyway. A hand reached out to help her stand and walk to the T-car.

As Robin had said, it was a new foe; it brought to mind Slade, but somehow neither of them thought he was behind this. The robot, if that's what it was, was pure silver in color with four red eyes equally spaced around its bald head. A mere five feet in height it was slim and very fast. Except for having no indication of gender, it was humanoid in appearance. As it walked along the street it was emitting sonic pulses that was shattering every bit of glass within a fifteen foot radius.

"Definitely new." Cyborg said, frowning.

"Starfire, hit it was some starbolts." Robin ordered. "Be careful not to get too close." He added, watching the robotic minion closely. The starbolts knocked it back a few feet, then it continued on its merry way.

"Cyborg. Can you scan it?"

"No. It's emitting some sort of interference." The cybernetic teen replied. He raised his sonic cannon and blasted at the new foe. The results were less than spectacular as it merely twisted to one side, completely avoiding the blast.

"Beast Boy is there..." Robin paused, cringing as did everyone around him. Without another word he tried several birdarangs, and then several electric discs followed by several explosive ones. Moving with inhuman speed, all were easily evaded by the silver android. Having to throw from a distance, to keep their bones from being shattered by the sound waves, gave their opponent's electronic brain plenty of time to react.

Raven reached out with her magic and held it in place. Even given her exhaustion she felt weak. _Timid and Happy. _She realized. _They're either gone, or just not helping._ Struggling, she managed to hold the robot in place for several seconds. In that time three explosive discs, two blast of the sonic cannon, and over a dozen starbolts hit it.

They all watched as it staggered beneath the impact, was blown ten feet backwards, and toppled over. Then, as if nothing had happened, it got back to its feet and continued its march. Giant sheets of glass in several storefronts shattered, littering the street with sharp fragments. A few seconds later more windows gave way beneath the sonic impulses it was emitting. When it walked by several cars, they all suddenly lost every window they had.

"Tough." Cyborg muttered.

"Still, I think it's damaged." Starfire spoke. "It's not moving as fast as it was before."

"Hrm." Robin said, sizing up the situation. "Cyborg, how much slower is it moving?"

"Not much. When we got here it was walking at five miles per hour, almost a slow jog." The cybernetic teen studied the silver android. "Now it's move at maybe just a little under five. We might've done some damage."

"Raven can you hold it again?"

"I'll try." The violet-haired girl replied, wondering which one of the two silver blobs she could see was the target.

She manged to hold it twice more before she sat down from exhaustion. The robot had been slowed to four miles per hour, though there still wasn't a mark on its surface.

Eyes half closed she watched as Starfire tossed starbolt after starbolt at it, seemingly without doing any damage. Cyborg fired his cannon more than a dozen times before he had to allow it to cool off. The few times he'd hit didn't seem to do much either. When it passed a fire hydrant they soaked it with water. If was indeed mechanical, it was well sealed against that particular liquid. Eventually Starfire dropped from exhaustion. Still, even if it looked like they'd done no damage they must've done some. It's speed had dropped from four miles per hours to three. But for all they knew, that could be from its batteries running down or something.

Robin resumed throwing discs with most of them striking. Apparently the android could no longer move with the speed needed to avoid them.

Raven, a little refreshed, held it in place, trying to crush it, as the rest of the team went all-out against the mechanical minion once again. Slowing to two miles per hour, it suddenly stopped and emitted a loud pitched whistle. Then its skin seemed to melt and collapse inward, giving it a gaunt look; five seconds later it exploded. There was no debris left.

"Hope there aren't any more of those where that one came from." Cyborg said, looking at his arm. It was emitting smoke.

"Pretty sure we'll see more." Raven intoned. "Whoever made it, built it so it wouldn't leave any traces behind; they don't want us analyzing it. They're not gone, just this one toy they sent out."

"I've gotta concur with Raven." Robin said, sitting down on the ground. It'd been a long battle; two hours from start to finish.

Cyborg studied a display on his wrist. "It was transmitting." He finally said, still looking at his wrist. "From the looks of it it was video. It'll be more than enough information for someone to analyze the fight."

"Great." Robin muttered. "We might try different weapons next time, but whoever it was got a lot more data than we did." He looked down the street. From the time it'd taken them to arrived, and during the fight, he figured the robot had travelled eleven miles. For that entire length everything made of glass had been shattered. The windows were obvious, but he knew inside the shops and houses there would've been things like computers and televisions that woud've been destroyed as well. Not to mention a whole lot of dishes.

"At least twenty million in damages." Cyborg said, looking away from the wrist display to stare down the street as well. "A hundred of those could take out the entire city."

"More like ten." Robin countered. "If there was another one, we would be in no shape to handle it. And it didn't even strike back. It was just reconnaissance."

They all frowned at that. The broken team was in no shape to handle another powerful villain.

"Maybe Jinx will have something useful against it." Cyborg finally said. "Her bad luck hexes might make it just explode or something."

"Maybe." Raven mused, hoping it was the case. The pink-haired girl had been visiting Titans East for this particular battle.

Starfire helped her back to the T-car, and they returned to the tower.

* * *

At the tower, rather than sleep, Raven sought out Cyborg. "Any news on who altered the tapes?" She asked bluntly.

"No. I've gone over them more than fifty times, and I've used more than thirty programs to scan for anything that might give us a clue. Nothing."He sighed. "Whoever altered them only made one mistake, they didn't take into account the cameras could see in the infrared."

"That wasn't a mistake." Raven intoned apathetically. A few weeks ago she'd been speaking almost normally, but she'd reverted to her old habits.

The cybernetic teen looked at her.

"We were meant to spot it after it was too late." She explained. "It was meant to let us know we'd tossed out someone who was innocent."

"To break up the team." Cyborg added.

"It worked." She replied. "Which doesn't tell us how they knew we wouldn't spot it beforehand."

"Almost like Slade." The cybernetic Titan added. "Just as brilliant a move, and just as ruthless."

"It's not him though. That robot wasn't his; it wasn't made in his image, and his ego would've demanded that."

Cyborg nodded in agreement. "A new enemy we know nothing about." He looked down at the computer console he was working at. "Someone who can access our systems without leaving a trace." He turned his attention back to Raven. "Given any thought to the trial yet?"

"No. It's not important." Her tone suggested otherwise. She craved to be punished, needed to suffer. "I'll be in my room." She said, and turned away.

Back in her room she picked up a book and glanced through it. The writing was just a blur. Until she healed her eyes even the world of books was denied her. That, she decided, was okay. Lying down, she tried to sleep. She would search again tomorrow.

* * *

Beast Boy had found what he'd been searching for. Turning into an octopus, it'd taken several hours to dig down and uncover the cargo hole of a ship that'd been carrying more than two hundred million in gold and platinum ingots. The shape shifter looked through the cargo space which was almost intact, wondering why he'd never done this before. His unique abilities gave him an unparalleled ability, with maybe the exception of Aqualad, to search for such shipwrecks. He didn't need gear to breathe underwater, and the sonar of a dolphin could penetrate into the sea bottom, giving him a crude picture of its composition. He estimated each ingot weighed around five pounds, or eighty ounces. If he was able to get full market price for them they would net him a hundred grand each. Of course that wasn't likely. He was hoping for twenty percent, but would be happy with ten.

He grabbed eight of the ingots, one for each arm, and slowly started to make his way to the shore. Sometime trying to carry stuff as an animal was a pain. Still he knew he could expect a decent place to sleep and decent food. It was worth the hassle after two weeks of being washed around by the sea. Nearing the beach, he ran into a strong current and dropped the ingots to switch to a dolphin once more to rest.

The water was filled with sound, including what he thought might be a cry for help. Unable to turn away, he headed towards it. Six minutes later he encountered a small body floating in the water, being carried out to sea by a powerful current. There was a commotion coming from the shore; people were trying to reach the unmoving form, but the brutally strong undertow was keeping them back.

He shifted back to an octopus, and grabbed the child, taking note it was girl of maybe five or six. _Way too young to die. _He though, cringing and hoping he wasn't too late. His arms lifted her above the water and gently squeezed, forcing the water from her lungs. Immediately she started coughing and crying. It seemed she must've only lost consciousness seconds before he spotted her. Greatly relieved, he headed towards the shore, forcing himself to move against the current.

Soon she was grabbed out of his reach by a courageous young woman brave enough to face what could only have appeared to her to be a relatively large octopus. Despite weighing only a hundred and eighty pounds, his form must've seen immense, and very intimidating. Back out to sea he took to the air as a falcon and watched. The girl was pronounced okay and was allowed to run into the arms of a waiting older sister who was crying as much as the young girl.

Returning to his dropped loot, he gathered it and resumed his slow process to land. It'd felt good to be a hero once more. Any thoughts he'd had of returning to Jump City as a villain just to stir up trouble vanished.

Two hours later he was in a pawn shop, carefully staring at the owner. His sharp hearing was telling him the skinny man of about fifty was nervous, thinking he was buying stolen goods. The man's voice, along with his eyes, also contained greed. When he mentioned a price that was absurdly low, Beast Boy mentioned one that was as ridiculously high. To his surprise, he got around fifty percent of the market value for a single ingot. Fifty thousand dollars.

He searched the city, and found seven more dealers in gold. Only four of them panned out, with the others asking for identification. Still, it left him with two hundred and twenty thousand in cash. More than enough to last him a long time. Recalling the child that'd nearly drowned, he dropped the other three ingots into a donation box for a child's hospital.

A clothing store for a cloak that covered his green skin was his first stop. Then he roamed the city, making a restaurant that served vegetarian dishes his second major stop; eating raw seafood was getting to be a bit tedious. Finding a cheap hotel that didn't bother with identification, he sat back to do some thinking.

First he recalled the fight that'd led to his end as a Titan. With the panic and adrenaline gone, he saw it in a different light. There'd been shock in Robin's eyes at the sight of the explosive disc. The same with Raven with both the disc and when she'd nearly killed her boyfriend. If he'd settled down at either of those times he might've been able to just walk away. Still, their willingness to condemn him without even showing him any evidence washed away any regret he had over the fight. The wounds he'd taken were worth it to let them know ... He shrugged, not really sure what he'd shown them. Still, it'd been worth it. Unlike with the Doom Patrol he hadn't walked away cowed. Not only that, but so far he was doing okay. Far better than scavenging bottles and cans to be recycled just to get a bite of pizza. _Much better. _He thought, recalling the expensive meal he'd just had. And while the hotel was cheap, it was warm and comfortable. It even had a tv. He briefly turned it on, and then just as quickly turned it off. _Definitely not the type of show I'm in the mood for at the moment_. He mused with a grin.

_So what do I want now? _He pondered. _I have access to tons of cash, so long as I don't run out of crooked pawn shop owners. I can do whatever I want, whether it be playing video games all day, or ... Definitely not that. Once in a while maybe. _Beast Boy stared up at the dirty ceiling, stained with what looked like cigarette smoke. _I like being a hero. _He decided. _It made me feel good, and it was fun at times. But what made it fun was having friends. And I'm certainly not ready to trust anyone that much again. Not now, and perhaps not ever. _He sighed. _I like turning into animals, and want to be able to change into more. So finding more shapes would be nice._

He settled back, closing his eyes, still thinking. _So remain a hero, and hunt for new shapes. Two things I want to do. Choose one? Or can I do both at the same time? _The shape shifter turned the thought over in his head. _Picking a city to protect would tell the Titans where I am, and while I don't think they would hunt me down I really don't care to deal with them. At least not for a long long time. Hrm._

_What animals would I hunt? _That was important. If he was going to do both at once, the shape he wanted would decided where he went. _I've covered most of the larger ones. Elephant, bear, various whales,... I've also got the more common ones. Most cats, a ton of snakes, dogs, birds, ...Be cool if I could fly to alien worlds and find alien shapes, but that's out. I don't have a form that can survive in space, and starships aren't exactly a dime a dozen. _He opened his eyes to stare at the smoke stain again. It was annoying. Which was weird given how messy his room usually was. His thoughts returned to his future and what he would do.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Raven isn't taking things well. And there will be a trial.

Beast Boy has tons of cash, with access to more, and has decided he wants to remain a hero while finding new animals he can change into. Even considering going off-world if he can.

As with my other Teen Titan stories, he will need a DNA sample to change into a new form.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_Tried to read a few websites on Batgirl, and ended up deciding I would need a Master's Degree in something or other to follow all of that. So no Batgirl. The same goes with most of the DC universe characters. I don't know them well enough to write them._

_Yikes! Gotham City is supposed to hold thirty million people! That's huge! I'm assuming an area of 400 square miles, which would make it pretty densely populated, but too high a figure throws the story off._

_I do reread what I write, though I know I miss a lot of mistakes. Sorry about that._

_I probably should show Beast Boy using his Beast form more in this story. If I remember to, I will try to add scenes with it. In the Shapes story I did focus a bit excessively on the Dragon form._

_He will have one short fling. Thought it won't be serous, nor will it last long. And it will be someone who doesn't appear in the DC universe._

_The emoticlones have only met two people in person, Beast Boy and Cyborg. I'm thinking Beast Boy is the one most of them would relate too. Knowledge's whole world had just changed, Timid and Happy would've been her friends, so she would be truly beyond mad._

_Okay, I'm convinced. Beast Boy will probably end up getting a humanoid form or two in this story._

_At the moment the Titans have no way to get word to him; he doesn't want to be found. He will be on his own, depending how you define his own, until around chapter nine or ten, if the story goes as planned._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Gotham City,... Media Reports and the Result of the Trial,... Another Silver Minion,... A Rescue or Two,...**_

Beast Boy dropped the two suitcases he was carrying and looked around, wondering just why he was in Gotham City. Flexing his shoulders, he took a short stroll around the bus he'd just arrived on to get the kinks out of his muscles. _Next time I'm flying. _He told himself, watching as a man walked up to his suitcases, looked around, and then tried to walk off with them. He didn't get far. Each was filled with forty gold ingots with a total weight of two hundred pounds per suitcase.

"I believe those are mine." He said, walking up to the man who was still trying to drag one of them off.

The skinny, would be thief, was short, with greasy black hair. He'd also neglected to take a bath for at least a week. Rather than leave the matter be, a glint of silver appeared in his hand and flashed out. It was brutally stopped, and a counterattack left him lying unconscious on the ground.

The shape shifter looked around, thinking it strange that no one was paying any attention to the activity. _But this is Gotham City. _He mused, recalling some of the things he'd heard about it. Despite being patrolled by Batman it wasn't a good place to raise children; it wasn't a good place period. Flexing his shoulders once more, he took a deep breath, and grabbed his luggage. _Definitely going to be hiring a taxi. _He decided. He still wore a black robe to hide his green skin, and carried a backpack with a few changes of clothes along with a laptop.

The cab he eventually found was a piece of junk that should've been recycled twenty years ago. The driver gave him a strange look when he asked to be taken to the nearest place that could handle a large amount of gold. Beast Boy guessed it was an unusual request, and that the man couldn't be blamed for his reaction. That and the robe would make anyone suspicious. Fifteen minutes later he was outside of a large shop with a sign that read 'Slimy Slim Jim's Pawn Shop - If It's Legal We'll Take it. If It's Illegal We'll Still Take It.'

"Be careful in there." The cab driver warned. It was the first words he'd spoken since Beast Boy had entered the cab.

"I will. Thanks." The shape shifter replied, and told the man to keep the change.

As the rundown vehicle pulled away, he turned to stare at the building. Like everything in Gotham it looked dirty, being covered in soot and other products of a major industrial city. The windows were grey with the foul substance, and the color of the shop itself was indeterminable. _Guess they must clean the sign once in a while. _He mused. It looked brand new.

Gathering his courage, he walked inside. It looked as dirty as the outside. Little merchandise could be seen, and he assumed most of it was the sort of thing one wouldn't want out in the open.

"What do you want?" A hostile voice asked from behind a counter. The man it belonged to was huge, nearing seven feet, and from the muscles appeared to immensely strong. His eyes were like cold blue ice, while he had a head of blonde hair. His skin was pale, as it would be in this city where the sun was blocked by the eternal clouds of smog.

"I have a few items for sell." Beast Boy replied.

"Let's see it." The man ordered. "But we don't deal in small stuff, so unless it's worth something just bug off.

The shape shifter dragged the suitcases to the counter and lifted them up. The sturdy counter groaned under the weight, while the man's eyes twitched slightly as he saw what was inside.

"How much?" The pawn shop owner asked.

"Eighty ingots, five pounds each." Beast Boy replied. "All salvaged, so it's legal. But I don't want anyone tracing it back to me.

"Twenty cents on the dollar." Came the first offer.

The shape shifter sighed. He hated bargaining. It was a price he would've accepted before he'd gotten fifty percent of the market value back in Spark City, but now he knew it was way too low. In the end he got it up to forty percent, with the cash to be placed in an account under a fake name. Several pieces of identification would be added in at no extra cost.

"Hold it right there Slimy Slim Jim and whoever you are."

They both turned to look at the girl standing in the doorway. From his reaction Beast Boy guessed the man knew her.

"What now Jen ... Ah, whatever name you're going by this time?" The shop owner asked.

"That gold is stolen. No one walks in with eight million dollars worth and sells it in a pawn shop. You're both under arrest."

"Prove it." The man replied, obviously bored.

Beast Boy studied the girl. She wore a dark blue outfit that reminded him of Raven, but her hair was fiery red, and blue eyes showed behind the mask she wore. The hero, that's what he assumed she was, wore little in the way of gear or weapons. He guessed that meant she either had other abilities, or fought hand-to-hand.

"Hands out." She ordered, and he complied. She slapped a pair of cuffs on him. Then she turned to lecture Slimy Slim Jim on the evils of crime. The man looked amused, yet worried.

The shape shifter sighed and wondered at the quality of heroes who would turn their back on a supposed villain. The man's eyes were on the girl. Unobserved, he made a flash transformation to an amoeba and back. The cuffs were now off, hanging loosely in his hand. Some of the tricks he'd learned over the last year required him to make a series of changes quickly. He could now focus on two, and at times three, and do them in quick succession. Neither of the two had noticed him disappear for a fraction of a second.

While the girl was giving her lecture he looked at the cuffs and opened them. Then he tapped the girl on the shoulder.

"Wait a second, I'm busy." She replied, returning to lecturing the man behind the counter who wore an expression of someone whose patience was near its limit.

He tapped her on the shoulder again.

"What is it?" She demanded, turning to face him.

He slapped one cuff on her right wrist, and then the other on the handle of the closest suitcase. She blinked and looked down, surprised.

"How?" She asked, getting a worried expression on her face. She glanced at the man behind the counter who was starting to look worried too.

"You know, cuffed to the so-called stolen goods like that I bet the police would think you're the criminal." Beast Boy told her, amused.

"No they wouldn't. I'm a hero." She exclaimed, pulling at the suitcase, trying to free herself. Then she reached into a pocket with her left hand and pulled out a key. It disappeared as it was snatched out of her hand, leaving her looking surprised again.

Beast Boy studied the key. Overly large it looked like a prop from a movie. "Are those cuffs even real?" He asked.

"Of course they are." The girl muttered, twisting her wrist and trying to pull her hand free.

"They're supposedly a realistic replica of ones used a by crime fighter on some movie." The man replied, still looking worried, though less so. "She's my daughter." He explained. "She didn't mean any harm, but she has this dangerous fantasy that she's a real life crime fighter." He swallowed. "In this city that's a dangerous obsession."

Beast Boy nodded, and tossed the man the key. "I can imagine." He replied.

"You're not going to let a thief walk away? Are you?" The girl cried.

"It's not stolen goods, honey." The man explained. "The ingots got a mark I recognize. They were forged more than two hundred and fifty years ago. I don't know why he's selling them here, probably to escape some tax laws, but they're not stolen."

"Oh." She replied. "You sure?"

Her father nodded, and handed her the key. "I wish you would give this up." He sighed.

"I can't." She muttered, frowning.

"I'll be back this evening." Beast Boy told them, deciding the family matter was none of his business. Before he left he turned to the girl. "Being a hero is dangerous, and you don't have the skills. Give it up."

"I do too." She replied defiantly.

Letting the door closed, he turned towards her. "Fine. Prove it. Pretend I'm a villain and apprehend me." He hated doing this but it was sort of like hero work, dissuading someone not to do something dangerous. He folded his arms and waited.

She crouched down in a fighting stance, while the man looked on worriedly.

Beast Boy didn't move. When she attacked, he just reverted to an amoeba for a split second, and let the breeze her fist generated move him slightly to one side where he returned to his human form. Too any observers it was like he was moving too fast for the eye to follow. Fifteen minutes later, he was still standing, arms folded, waiting for a single punch to land. She on the other hand was panting for breath.

"You can't even touch me." He told her. "Yet only last month I came absurdly close to death. If I were fully human I wouldn't have had a chance. Imagine how little of a chance you would've had." Hating how brutal his tone sounded, he left. At least he had what he'd come to the city for. Identification, and a bank account no one would be able to trace back to a certain shape shifting hero. He wouldn't have had a clue where to get those in any other city, but Gotham had lived up to its reputation.

* * *

A knock on her door caused the violet-eyed girl to stir. "Come in." She muttered.

Starfire walked in, and took a look around the room. "How're you doing?" She asked, sitting down on the side on the bed, gazing at the girl with a worried expression.

"Okay." Raven replied.

"That's a lie." The orange-skinned Titan replied. "We're all guilty over what happened, friend Raven, but killing yourself like this won't help."

"I'm not." The girl countered. "So what if I'm a little bit tired from still looking. It's better than doing nothing."

"I look too." Starfire told her. "But you nearly died last week when you lost consciousness and fell on the rocks. He wouldn't wish for you to die."

"How do you know? We tried to kill him. For all we know he might be praying for our deaths right now, assuming he's alive."

"I doubt it. It's not the way he is." The orange-skinned alien replied. She looked thoughtful. "Tell me, friend Raven, did you have feelings for Beast Boy?"

The half demon froze. "Does it matter?" She finally responded. "If I did then it's too late."

The orange-skinned Titan remained quiet, waiting.

"I've seen the way Robin looks at you." Raven added. "He loves you and I wanted him to look at me the same way for so long. To finally fully belong somewhere. But thinking back on Beast Boy I realized something. His every glance at me was like that." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Joining you and Robin wasn't a mistake. I learned I was accepted and cared for. It felt right, and it was good. But at some point I should've realized it wasn't what I was looking for. That he would never look at me the way he looks at you; the way Beast Boy looked at me." She sighed. "Inside I knew he was the one I should be dating. My emoticlone's obsession with him should've told me that. But I just saw him as immature and focused on Robin."

"Oh." Starfire replied. "I should've seen that. I didn't know such arrangements weren't common in your culture and just saw how you looked at friend Robin." She looked down at her hands.

"No worries now." Raven attempted a small smile. "He's all yours. Even if what I truly wanted is gone forever, I still know he isn't it."

The orange skinned alien nodded. "The judge had the results of the trial emailed to us." She informed the girl. "He thought it best not to disturb us from our duty by calling us to the room of court again."

"What is it?" The violet-haired girl asked, showing more signs of life.

"Probation." The alien replied, frowning. "There was no body and they decided not to carry through with the murder charge. They found us guilty of assault with extenuating circumstances. It seems they've decided we're needed where we're at."

"That's not fair." Raven cried, sitting up. "We killed him. We should be in jail now. Not allowed to remain in the tower."

"I agree that the punishment is too light." Starfire replied. "In my culture it would've been swift, and much more brutal. But that he's dead is not true." She handed several small papers to the violet-haired girl.

The half blind girl peered at them, squinting. They were media reporting of rescues by various animals, all of which had been green." She looked up.

"It could only be him." Starfire told her, smiling for the first time since the event had happened. "He's alive."

Raven sank back down in her bed, eyes closed, sobbing. After a few minutes she resumed looking at the media clippings. They showed something that few people could've accomplished. Of the Teen Titans he was the only one. She and Starfire could fly, but none of them possessed his sense of sight. He could soar more than a mile above an area and observe it in detail, reacting as soon as he saw trouble. In any year twenty people died by drowning in a place like Jump City. Around twenty more died in fires with over a hundred more being injured. That was just fires and drowning. It didn't include things like muggings and other crime. The clippings showed he was still active, still saving lives. They also showed he didn't remain in one place for long. A green octopus saving a young girl from drowning; a falcon swooping down to snatch a baby from a burning building; a mugger who liked to slash his victims rendered unconscious; a ...

The sound of an alarm drew their attention away from the media reports.

"It's as we predicted." Starfire tiredly said.

"Yeah." Raven replied. Over the last two weeks there'd been six more silver minions, as they'd started to call the new robots. One every second day. There'd been minor changes, but they were basically the same. A swiftly moving sound emitter that shattered glass along a ten mile section of the city before the Titans could stop them. The price tag for the damage was now in the hundreds of millions. It was no wonder the city was willing to let them off the hook given they were the only ones who could stop the robots. As Cyborg had pointed out, if left alone a single silver minion could walk a hundred and twenty miles in a day, doing two-hundred and forty million in damage. A week and the price tag would be over one and half billion dollars. As prosperous as Jump City was, it couldn't afford many of those machines of destruction walking around.

* * *

They approached the android with caution. While none of them had directly attacked the Titans yet, the results could be deadly if they did. The sound waves would be instantly fatal to Cyborg and Robin as their human bones were shattered. Raven, if she was fast enough, might be able to erect a barrier, while Starfire was very resistant to damage.

"Hold him." Robin ordered.

Raven reached out with her dark magic and attempted to hold their marching foe still. To her surprise the energy felt strange as it reached the cybernetic creation. Slippery was the only way she could describe it; her dark energy couldn't seem to grip it. It kept walking. "I can't. Something is preventing me from touching it." She exclaimed.

They all cringed at the comment. The half demon's powers had been their main advantage. It kept their opponent still so they could strike at it. But now ...

"Starfire." Robin ordered. "Hit it with a slow stream of starbolts while we think. Don't wear yourself out."

The orange-skinned alien stood on the ground and started throwing them. Normally she would fly when fighting a villain, but they'd all learned to conserve power against the silver minions. "I feel strange." She finally said.

Robin glanced at her with a worried look. "How?" He asked.

"The sound waves are affecting me more." She explained, backing off a bit to continue her attack from a safer distance.

"I see." Cyborg said, staring at the readout from his scanner. "The sound it's emitting has dropped in power by about ten percent, but its frequency has changed to better affect her Tamaranian physiology. She's still more resistant, but too close for too long and her bones will shatter too."

"And Raven's power?" Boy Wonder asked.

"I'm not sure. But I think the composition of the machine has changed. It's emitting some sort of energy, which is where that extra energy is going."

Raven reached out again, forcing her power to oppose that of the machine. _If Timid and Happy ... _She pushed the thought aside. "Hit it now." She ordered.

Immediately the team swung into action. Starfire hit it with every starbolt she could in the short time period they would have. Cyborg, with his cannon modified to allow rapid fire, blasted at it. Robin tossed every disc he could manage. They stopped when it started moving again.

"Time to try the new net." Robin muttered.

Raven reached out once more, straining to hold the slippery foe still. Cyborg hit a button on the T-car and a heavy net made of titanium shot out to wrap itself around the android. Connected to the vehicle's power supply, thousands of volts coursed through the wire. When it finally broke free of the violet-haired girl's restraints, the silver minion simply started snipping the net's meshing in two. Soon it was marching forward again.

"Damn." Robin muttered, sighing. "I've hoped the changes in the android would make the net more effective."

"No such luck it seems." The cybernetic teen shook his head. "Whoever built that has access to some really good technology."

They watched together as their foe continued its relentless march, glass shattering all around it. In previous attempts they'd already tried freezing it with liquid nitrogen, and had tried hitting it with larger explosives. Scanning the results of that Cyborg had simply stated that a single explosion capable of taking it out in one shot would also level several city blocks. Everything had proved futile as a quick method of stopping it.

"Hold it." Robin ordered.

Raven wearily obeyed as the team then pumped everything they had at their foe. In the end it took four hours to bring the silver minion down, during which it left a fifteen mile long trail of debris. This time it'd crossed several major intersections, and traffic within the city would be drastically affected by the loss of traffic lights for days.

"We're losing." Cyborg commented.

Robin nodded. "The city is already raising taxes to cover the damages." He said, looking back at the trail of glass. "Eventually whoever is behind this is just going to release a dozen or so of those things, and demand the city surrender. As things stand, they will have no choice."

* * *

Dead tired, they returned to the tower to find a mess of communications from Titans East. Another silver minion had attacked them as well, making it the fifth that team had had to deal with. Jinx was still remaining with them as her powers had proven necessary for them to handle the nearly indestructible foes. Her hexes might not make them explode, but it did cause them bad luck. That meant they evaded fewer attacks, and took more damage; without her they wouldn't be able to stop the assaults. According to the communications, while her powers still had some affect, it'd dropped drastically for the last one.

What was even more disturbing were messages saying that fighting had broke out amongst them after their last success. Kid Flash had been targeted by the other members of Titans East, and ordered to leave the team. Few details were given.

* * *

Beast Boy headed back to Slimy Slim Jim's pawn shop to pick up his new identification, along with the account number where his money would be safely stashed. So far today he'd encountered sixteen muggers, and had interrupted two robbers hitting a small store. _If it's like this every day no wonder Robin left. _He mused. _For that matter, I'm getting out of here as soon as I can too._

In the store the tall man silently handed him the identification, along a piece of paper with a number. Watching him, the shape shifter realized he was extremely nervous, and often peered at the door.

"She decided to give up on being a hero?" He asked.

The man shook his head. "She just got angry and left right after you did. She's been gone ever since." He sighed tiredly, looking a lot different from the abrasive man Beast Boy had first encountered. "She obsesses over it, but she's always back by this time. She'd going to college and she's just as focused on maintaining her grades." He sighed again, looking at the door once more. "I even closed for a while and searched around the block. I'm pretty sure she'd not totally crazy, and would run from something like the Joker but ..." He shrugged.

Beast Boy sighed too. "So where would she go to patrol, or whatever she does? Close to here?"

"This is her neighbourhood, the area she wants to protect so yeah. Unless she heard something about Amy."

"Amy?" The shape shifter asked.

"Her best friend. She disappeared around a month ago. That's when she became obsessed with being a crime fighter."

"What's her name?" Beast Boy asked, realizing he didn't even know that.

"Jenny."

"Red hair and a dark blue costume." He said, half to himself. "If I see her I'll drag her back here." He gave the man a small smile, before realizing his hood would hide it. He took a quick look at the id before he left. Of course none of them included a photo. The name was Vagus Caelorum, meaning wanderer of the skies. He would go by the name Cael when people asked what his name was.

Outside the shape shifter sighed again, and looked around. It was starting to get dark, and that probably meant it wasn't safe for the girl to be out. In Jump City sure, but here he thought it would be a quick way for anyone to die. Walking in an alley the world around him changed as he shifted into a bear, and his sense of smell was suddenly two thousand times better than the average human's. Recalling the girl's scent, he sniffed the air for several seconds, trying to see if she was close by. She wasn't.

Deciding a dog would draw less attention, he switched to a blood hound, and swiftly traced her trail. It was clear and easy to follow despite being several hours old and the hundreds of people who'd walked by since then. Every once in a while he would find a safe place and use his bear form to sniff the air. It sense of smell was seven times better than that of a blood hound.

Her trail continued, but was soon overlapped with the scent of around twenty other people, all heading in the same direction. He pondered that, and decided the would be hero must've run afoul of a gang. She was obviously running, with a group of youths not far behind. Abandoning caution, he resumed the form of a bear and gave chase. Two miles later he came to an abandoned industrial park filled the shouts of a group of people having not so wholesome fun.

He found her clinging to the side of a ladder leading up to a tank of some sort. She was bloodied and obviously hurt, as below her the gang threw rock after rock at her, sometimes including a bottle in the mix.

_So much for keeping the fact I'm a shape shifter hidden. _He sighed, preparing to charge into battle. Then he paused. _No need to be reckless. I can handle them without giving away how I manage it. _

Beast Boy shifted into a humming bird and headed towards one of the youths. In the dark the bird would be nearly invisible. Hovering over the boy's left shoulder, he made two quick transitions. First to an electric eel, and then back to the humming bird which darted away, leaving behind the shocked teen who was now on the ground unconscious. He repeated it a half-dozen more times before the dull-witted gang members realized something was wrong. Another six fell before the others fled. He managed to get three more before giving up. The girl was hurt and should be his main focus now.

"You can come down now." Beast Boy called out, looking at the girl who was around thirty feet up. If she fell it could be bad, and from the way she moved he knew she was hurt. The scent of her blood lingered in the air.

For a while she looked down, obviously wondering if she should trust him. Then, she slowly started to climb down. With her feet still ten feet from the ground, she slipped and fell. He made another quick transition to a great ape, and then back to his human form with her in his arms.

He looked her over. Pretty tired out with more slashes from the thrown rocks than he could count, but alive and lacking any serious wounds. Obviously she wouldn't be walking back, so he let her climb on his back and then started walking. He figured if she wasn't so worn out, and hurting so much, she would be embarrassed. There was nothing he could do about that.

Her father took her and held her, weeping. It was strange to see someone that size, who looked that scary, crying. But Beast Boy much preferred it to someone who didn't care. The man was human.

"You're never doing that again." The man said emphatically.

"I've got to. Amy." The girl replied defiantly.

_She's willing to die for her friend. _The shape shifter realized, touched. _I was wrong; she's got the makings of a hero after all._ "How large is Gotham City?" He asked, interrupting her father's response.

Tears still in his eyes, the man turned towards him. "Around four hundred square miles." He replied. "Why?"

The shape shifter slipped from the stool he'd been sitting on. "That's huge." He commented, thinking. "Too huge."

"I'll find her." Jenny insisted. She was sitting back as her father wiped the blood from her face.

"Hrm. Wonder what the weather forecast is." Beast Boy mused. "Have a radio?"

Looking confused, but obviously willing to humor him given he'd brought his daughter back, the man reached behind the counter and pulled out a radio.

"And a map of the city?" The shape shifter asked. Given one, he studied it as he listened to the forecast. The winds would be southeast, blowing at ten miles per hours. He pulled out a pen and plotted a route.

"You have a truck that's open in the back?" He asked the puzzled man who nodded.

He turned to the girl. "Is there anything that would carry her scent?"

"Not recent." She replied, staring at him, eyes bright. "It's been four weeks."

"That's a problem then." He mused with a sigh.

"It would help find her?" She demanded, still staring at him, his head still hidden by the black hood.

"It might. No guarantees. If she's dead and been buried there's not much of a chance. Or if she's been moved out of the city. But if she's still here then I _might_ be able to find her. Scent is how I tracked you." He explained.

"Oh." She looked thoughtful. "Her gym clothes at school?" She asked.

"If they haven't been washed, then maybe."

The three of them dropped by the school which was locked. The girl paid no heed to that and broke in, bringing the clothes back to them.

Insisting the girl remain at the shop, he handed the map to the man. "Follow that route." He ordered, climbing into the back of the truck. Once they were moving he shifted into a bear, smelled the clothes, and then lifted his nose to the wind.

The man obeyed without question, and thankfully no one paid much heed to a truck with a bear in the back. It was twenty hours later with both of them bone weary, that he scented something, and ordered the man to stop. His eyes were wide, staring at the shape shifter, as they sat together outside drinking coffee. It was something Beast Boy hated, but sleep was calling and he needed to resist it just a bit longer.

"She's close by, within two miles that way." He explained, pointing into the wind. "Move slow." They resumed the search and twenty minutes later had narrowed it down to a single building. With one last sniff, the shape shifter resumed his human form.

"Might want to phone your daughter and at least let her know Amy is alive." He wearily told the man who eagerly complied.

"What now?" The man asked.

"It's your city." Beast Boy answered. "Would you phone the cops? Ask Batman?" He shrugged. "Think on it. I'll be back in a few minutes." He shifted into a humming bird again and flew around the building, looking for signs of the girl. He saw her through a window on the twentieth floor. He dropped back down beside the man.

"Is your name really Jim?" He asked, tired of thinking of him as the man. Slimy Slim Jim seemed a weird name for a shop, let alone a person.

"It is. Though I'm neither slimy nor slim." Came the amused reply.

"She's on the twentieth floor." Beast Boy informed him.

"Can you get her out without hurting her?"

"Depends who has her." He replied

In the end he flew up, broke in, and brought her down using the form of a Pterosaurs. To say she was scared of the giant flying dinosaur was an understatement. From her story they learned she was blackmailed to gain control over her father who worked at a major bank. The outfit that controlled the building weren't super powered like most villains the shape shifter fought, but they did have ties to the police, and were totally ruthless. They weren't above using guns and other weapons.

Beast Boy found a phone booth and made a call to the Wayne mansion. No one had ever told him who Batman was, but it was hard to keep secrets from someone with his hearing and sense of smell. Jim meanwhile phoned the police. Beast Boy backed off, and watched from afar as the building was raided. The authorities might be corrupt, but the figure peering over their shoulder made sure they did their job.

From his position he saw several of the criminals try to make a run for it from a back door. He dropped down, and using the same trick he'd used against the gang members shocked them into unconsciousness.

When the excitement was over with, he blinked the sleep from his eyes, and headed back to his motel room to slept.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	5. Chapter 5

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_His first fling. Nothing too explicit._

_I think it's beyond even Batman to figure this out. He doesn't have any more data to go on than the rest of them do. It will be discovered eventually. I'm sure Jim appreciates what Beast Boy did, and will be generous with the next few deals. Beast Boy knows they didn't try to kill him, that things just got out of hand somehow, but he's still not ready to go back. He would see Batman as an ally of Robin, and so not seek him out._

_This chapter will describe two humanoid forms, and have him use one._

_The journey will indeed be important to him, teaching him independence and showing him his true strength. He will learn new skills, and met new people. Raven is still half human and open to all the weaknesses of what it means to be human. She didn't want Robin to herself, she wanted him to look at her the way he does Starfire. It's when she realized that that wasn't going to happen that she decided he wasn't what she wanted. And it's when she lost Beast Boy that she realized he'd been looking at her that way the whole time she'd known him. It'd just been something she'd never noticed. I would see her emoticlone's as different aspects of her. That would mean different ways of thinking. ie. Timid would be how to avoid a fight, Brave would be how to win a fight. Totally different views, but both would be aspects of the same person._

_Wow! I never really thought about that. __You're right, his amoeba form does talk__. That's interesting. Thanks for pointing it out. I did notice that when he first entered Nevermore it seemed liked he used one of his forms to eat the attacking four-eyed ravens. So it would appear he also ate meat in at least one episode._

_Lost and confused within the convoluted mess that is the DC universe I too am wondering just how much Robin and Batman talk. Since in this story Batman funds the Teen Titans they must talk some. Jump City, fair or not, wouldn't be able to hand out any serious punishment. The city is at stake, and getting rid of the Titans would be suicidal. It does seem the silver minions are winning. And so far whoever is behind it is only sending one at a time. As it stands, one is all that it would take to destroy the city if they used it right, as this chapter will show._

_Letting him take on machine forms might be a bit too much. Imagine if he was able to take on the form of a Gordanian warship. He would be able to destroy whole cities. Still, in the next chapter he will leave/have left Gotham City and he will be seeking new shapes. Other than Tamaranian I'm wondering just what sort of alien shapes I should give him._

_Turning parts of his body into another creature. Interesting suggestion. Something he will be able to do, though just how he will make use of it remains to be seen._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Jenny,... New Forms,... Patrolling the City,... A New Skill,... Another Silver Minion,... Titans East,...**_

Beast Boy opened one eye, looked around, and decided it was a good day to sleep in. Moving would mean waking the cute girl who was snuggled up against him. When he'd first seen her with the blue hero outfit and mask, play acting a hero, he'd assumed she was around sixteen, but with her friend safe Jenny Baling had resumed her true age of twenty. She and Amy, he'd learned, had been born on the same day in the same hospital. They'd been friends their entire lives. To say there were as close as sisters would be an understatement. They would do anything for each other. When Amy had disappeared Jenny had lost it, and had done the only thing she could think of; become a hero to save her friend. In that aspect she had his admiration. She was intelligent and must've known just how futile it was.

The following night she'd shown up at his hotel, which he had no idea how she'd found, and stripped before his wide-eyed, slack-jawed, expression. Despite the temptation he'd reluctantly refused, not willing to exchange doing what he saw as his job for sex. That hadn't kept them from talking for hours. She'd stayed the night given how dangerous it was to travel in Gotham City after dark. The following evening when she'd made the same offer, he'd accepted. The last two weeks had been a very interesting, and a very pleasurable, learning experience for him. He'd been naive in practically all aspects of sex, while she was somewhat experienced. She'd explained she was on the pill, and always required her partners, of which he was the third, to use condoms. She was in her second year of college studying to be an engineer, and had no plans to ruin it with a pregnancy. Or by catching some disease for that matter.

He knew to her it wasn't serious. He was just a guy she found extremely interesting, and who she was curious about. In a few days she would be resuming classes, and would focus on her grades to the point of excluding almost everything else. He had to admit he would miss her. He also had to admit that in the long term they really wouldn't be a good match. She was a natural when it came to technology, which was the one thing he was clueless with. Even now the way she sometimes spoke left his head spinning in circles.

Reaching out, he ran his fingers through the soft mass of fine red hair. Her head tilted slightly, and an eye the color of a clear blue sky opened to peer at him. Smiling, she reached out to return the attention. The last two weeks had been very interesting indeed. Their lips met, and soon he was fumbling for the condoms once again.

* * *

When she left for the day he settled back in the bed, still able to smell her scent. Intoxicating. Still, while she was reason enough for him to stay in Gotham for a while, she wasn't the only reason. The waters around the city were filled with numberous ships that'd sunk, and he'd kept himself busy looting one that was close to the shore. Every second day he brought up eight million in gold, which Jim Baling was more than happy to take care of at seventy cents on the dollar. Beast Boy suspected he was doing it at no profit for himself.

That was a lot of money, and money opened doors. In a city like Gotham there were numerous laboratories doing all kinds of research. Most of in was on industrial processes, but not all. A few percent was on the genetic composition of villains, and in a city of thirty million people that few percent turned out to be a lot of high quality work. The forty million he'd salvaged had been cut down to just a little over twenty-three million as he'd bribed people to get access to various labs. He'd added two new forms to his collection.

First there was the work on the Joker's blood that one particular group had been researching. It'd been changed a little, but he now had a shape that was immune to nearly all forms of toxins. It's potential didn't stop there. They'd learned one of the reasons it conferred such immunity was due its ability to rapidly regenerate. For small wounds, if he wanted to keep a human form, the Joker might be ideal. Though he thought it unlikely he would use it that way given the blood was toxic, and could be lethal. He could just see a fly biting him, and then dropping down in a pot of soup in a restaurant, infecting dozens with the poison. It was truly scary to think about. But it also provided him with a devastating weapon while in that form. A speck of his blood would kill. Slash a hand and spray it in the air and he had an area affect weapon that could kill almost any foe. He'd taken the shape, but it wasn't one he would ever be eager to use. He was no killer.

There'd been another foe of Batman whose blood was being researched. Killer Croc. That form had him more excited. Despite its reptilian appearance, it was nearly human, meaning he could use his knowledge of martial arts. Combine that with the shape's other abilities and it was a form fit to match the beast. Razor sharp claws and teeth as natural weapons; super human strength and agility; hardened skin; immunity to toxins. It made him drool. It's hands were even flexible enough to allow him to use weapons.

Stretching, Beast Boy reluctantly rose from the bed where Jenny's scent still lingered. He was really going to miss her. Pacing the room he considered what to do once she went back to college. _Remain a hero, gain new shapes. _He recalled having already made that decision. But there was no way he was remaining in Gotham. So far he'd stopped over two hundred muggings, stopped nineteen stores from being robbed, saved seventeen people from buildings that'd caught on fire,... He needed a break. No wonder Batman for all his abilities couldn't bring this place under control. You would need to be as fast as the Flash with the strength of Superman with the ... Something or other to handle this city. A person would go nuts staying here.

He looked out at the eternally gray sky, and smelled the never ending toxic air of the city. There was a continuous roar from vehicles and people. He wondered what Batman saw in the place. But then Jenny loved it, so there must be something to it. Bored, he shifted into a falcon, and took to the air.

Soaring to a height of a quarter-mile, which was as far as he could clearly see through the smog, the shape shifter scanned the ground. Within five minutes he saw a dark-clad man brandishing a knife in an alley. The frail looking older man beside him was frantically emptying his pockets. Having learned not to waste time in this place where crime never rests, he folded his wings close to his body and dropped like a stone. Less than a fifteen seconds later they unfurled and slowed his fall. A split second transformation to an eel dropped the would-be mugger, and then his wings were grasping the air, straining to regain the lost altitude. In all it was less than a minute before he was back scanning the city. He would let someone else call the police; if they did. He noted the old man running from the alley, his wallet clutched in his hand.

Twenty minutes later the shape shifter spotted a building on fire. In Jump City, with the smoke to give them away, those were easy to spot from a distance. Here it was different with thousands of factories pouring pollution into the atmosphere. Checking again, he confirmed it was a fire, and started to study it in detail, his super-sensitive eyes peering through the toxic smog. _Too toxic. _His senses warned him. Landing on the roof, he shifted to a bat and listened. Automatically his ears sorted the sounds, blanking out those that weren't caused by people. In the end he located twelve sources of noise that might be survivors.

Given the smoke was toxic, Beast Boy decided to try the new Killer Croc form on for size. Smashing his way through the door on the roof, he used the enhanced hearing that came with the shape to help locate one of the survivors. He picked the unconscious man up, and slowly made his way to an exit, having to circumnavigate flames four times. Just before getting outside he reverted to his human form. To these people the Killer Croc would be a villain, and its appearance could cause trouble. Dropping the man to the ground where rescue workers could get to him, he hurried back inside. Ten seconds as a bat confirmed his second target was also not moving. It also told him there was another person inside who was moving swiftly towards another survivor. Ignoring them, he hauled one person after another out of the disaster site. Each time he listened, he noted the other figure also moving, saving people.

When the building was empty, he took to the skies once more. His sharp eyes peered down, and noted the form of a girl wearing a black suit. _Batgirl? _He wondered. After watching her for a minute or two, he continued his flight over the city. Five minutes later he sat down to take a rest. It seemed that while Killer Croc's form had prevented him from being harmed by the toxins in the air, and had even protected his skin to some extent from the flames, it' been seriously winded by the low oxygen environment. As a human, he laid back and stared up at gray sky. _Perhaps being a villain wouldn't be so bad. _He mused. _I could destroy the more polluting factories, and the rest would have to clean up their mess or face the same. How can people live without seeing the sun or the stars? _With a sigh he stood and continued to patrol the city, or at least the small section he could.

Nine more muggers felt the shock of an electric eel around their necks. Two robbers were clobbered into unconsciousness as he swooped into a store and turned into the beast. There was a drunken gang of ten motorcyclist shooting shotguns into store windows. Those he took care of too. That was something he didn't think he'd ever seen in Jump City.

* * *

There hours later he returned to his hotel room, dead tired. Sitting back, relaxing with a cold bottle of diet soda in his hand, he turned his attention to one of the talks he and Jenny had had. She, being an engineer, had wondered if he could replace one structure in his body with an equivalent one. At first he'd though her words were strange, but he'd given them careful consideration. His transformations had always included his whole body, but could he change it one part at a time? It was something he'd never considered. The body was a single organism, consisting of many different parts that worked together in harmony. Of course there would have to be limits. If he changed his head alone to that of a blue whale's he expected things would get messy, but maybe more reasonable changes. Something that replace one structure with another, yet retained the harmony of his body as a whole.

Raising his arm he focused on trying to transform, but only included his fingers in the attempt. At first it seemed to be useless, but determined to give it a serious try, he continued the process. Two hours later it worked, and his fingers took on the form of the Killer Croc's with huge claws at the end of them. Letting go of the partial shape, he fully resumed his human form extremely surprised at the success. It was a bit scary, and every sense he had was screaming at him how dangerous it might be. If he'd used the hand of the Joker for example, he thought it likely the tainted blood from it would've flowed through him, causing a very painful death.

_So, the body is just a series of structures. _He mused. _And I can change them either as a whole, or one at a time. Interesting. Be nice if I can learn to change, but leave my human vocal cords intact. Would be able to speak._ Happy to have learned something new, he settled down to experiment some more.

* * *

The alarm had sounded, and they'd rushed to fight another silver minion. For the last two weeks the process had continued at the same rate of one every second day. Fast enough to keep them tired, yet not overwhelm them. The damage had added up, and if things didn't improve soon the city might just surrender without being asked to. Though since the villain behind it all had yet to step forward that might be hard.

_Maybe they could just give the message to one of the robots. _Raven thought, straining to hold their foe still.

Cyborg rushed forward and used the chance to dump a huge truckload of quick-drying cement on top of it. "If it's not too strong, that might hold it." He said with a hint of weariness in his voice.

The concrete held the foe for a little over five minutes. Then small cracks started to appear in it. Within two more minutes the cybernetic minion walked free. It's sonic impulses started shattering all the glass around it once again.

"Maybe if we tried something like spraying molten titanium on it, and using liquid nitrogen to harden it right away." Cyborg mused. "The concrete did hold it for a bit."

"That'll be hard to try." Robin replied. "And the titanium alone would cost millions. Okay, let's try the acid."

Raven reached out and struggled to hold the slippery robot. "Okay." She told the others.

Cyborg and Robin lifted tanks of various types of acid onto their shoulders, and started spraying. The mess it made would be a pain to clean up, but if it worked it would be worth it. The spray hit the machine, and while it hissed on impact it didn't seem to do any damage. When it started to move again, Cyborg just shook his head.

"It dissolved some of it." He said, looking at the data he'd recorded. "But only around a tenth of an ounce. The amount of acid needed would be an environmental nightmare to clean up."

"I have an idea." Raven intoned, her expression having reverted back its old facade of apathy. "But it'll take time to set up, and there's no way we can use it on this one."

"Okay then. We'll just have to pound it into submission." Robin spoke forcefully. "Raven hold it as much as you can. Everyone else, blast it."

Sounds of explosions and other noises of combat rang throughout the city block.

_Glad it doesn't fight back. _Raven silently muttered, sweat running down her face with the effort of holding the silver minion in place.

With stops and pauses the four fought their relentless opponent. Suddenly, despite her control, Raven's face went pale. She used a bit of power to shoot up into the air and look around.

"Raven. What're you doing?" Robin inquired, tossing a disc which the silver minion evaded.

"Hate to be the bearer of bad news." She intoned. "But we're heading straight towards Jump City's main power plant." She stared at the gigantic towers that showed the location of a nuclear power plant with six cores, each rated at a little over a gigawatt.

Robin went pale. "Cyborg. Worst case scenario?" He demanded.

"The plants don't use water, and are instead air cooled by massive radiators." The cybernetic teen replied, thinking frantically. "Technically a meltdown is impossible. And should it somehow occur their passive failsafes will prevent any radiation leaks. We don't have to worry about that. But those plants generate over five hundred million dollars in electricity per month. The loss of tax revenue, along with the need to import power for the city will be over a hundred million a month." He shook his head. "Along with the cost these silver minions are racking up, I don't think the city can afford to pay out over a billion dollars a year. It'll go bankrupt. And there will still be a mess to clean up. That'll cost the city more."

Cyborg tilted his head and looked thoughtful. "Which reminds me, we haven't tried gamma radiation against those machines yet. It's worth a shot. I'll set something up for the next one."

"You sure about the radiation risks?" Robin demanded, dead serious.

The cybernetic teen nodded. "Latest design. But all that material will still be there, and will need to be guarded. We lose the plant and we lose the city. It just won't because of the radiation."

"Damn." Their leader muttered, watching their foe relentlessly march towards the city's doom. "Okay. Raven, you're our only hope. Can you toss it back a mile?"

She reached out with her power, and struggled to grasp it. Throwing all she could into the effort, she flung it back a hundred yards. "That's the best I can do." She told him, sinking wearily to the ground. "I can't get a good grip, but I can probably repeat it a few more times." Her face was pale, and the strain of the effort showed through her facade.

He nodded. "We hit it with everything we got." He sighed, obviously stressed to the breaking point.

"What would B do?" Cyborg muttered. "You know, I never really realized it until now, but he's the one who usually came up with the obvious solutions in such cases."

Raven looked at their cybernetic foe who was closing the distance again. _The obvious. _She thought. Reaching out, she manged to tear several truck sized chunks of rock out of the ground and use them to build a barrier. Her sigh of relief was audible, as the silver minion reach the makeshift blockade, and made a ninety-degree turn.

"It never smashes through anything." She explained, watching as their foe walked past the power plant.

"The obvious." Cyborg muttered, staring.

They resumed their assault on the robot, and brought it down six hours later. This time the trail of destruction was a little under twenty-five miles long, with a cost to the city of more than fifty million. There would definitely be another tax hike. Raven collapsed halfway through the fight, exhausted with her powers drained.

* * *

The violet-haired girl sat back on her bed, dead tired. She would take a short nap, and then would talk over plans for stopping the next silver minion with Cyborg. It would be messy, but it might work. _Though if we do find a way to stop them, they won't take it sitting down. _The violet-haired girl mused, staring at the ceiling. _They will start attacking, and that's not going to be fun. We will have to plan for that too._ She rubbed her eyes and looked around. They were still damaged and the room looked blurry. On her wall there were several newspaper clipping showing Beast Boy saving lives. _He's alive. _She thought. _We failed, and for now that's good enough. I can be happy just knowing he's okay._

She leaned close so she could make out the words in the headlines. Reading the articles themselves was beyond her, but that was okay. Recent reports had him in Gotham City, and she wondered what he was doing there. Given it had the Joker, and other villains the likes of which the Titans rarely had to face, it was a pretty bad city to be a hero in. Somehow she doubted he would stay there long. Robin had asked Batman to search for him, but so far there'd been no word.

Despite her weariness, she sat and mediation for several minutes before trying to sleep. Knowledge's last bit of advice to her, so long ago, had been to keep marching forward, so that was what she would do. Eventually she laid down and tried to sleep. It refused to come as she wondered how things were going with the Titans East. The cause of the infighting had been determined to be based on false data placed in their computers by some unknown villain; the same as had happened with Beast Boy. Kid Flash had returned to the team, but things were still tense. Someone was rewriting the contents of their computers at will, leaving no trace behind. There'd been two more attempts to break up Titans East in such a manner, but they'd learned to ignore what their computers said.

She turned her thoughts back to Beast Boy, wondering once more how he was doing.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Considered using the Gentleman Ghost as one of his new forms, but decided teleporting and interdimensional travel might be too much.

Wonder what plans Raven has for stopping the silver minions, and how they will react. If something isn't done soon Jump City could become history.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	6. Chapter 6

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_It seems Beast Boy isn't much of a newspaper reader if he hasn't heard about the silver minion yet. But then he's been busy fighting crime, and having lots of fun with a certain redhead._

_With the shapes he's getting I think enabling him to change into a swarm of insects might be too much. Still it's something I've actually been thinking about using if I write another story about him._

_Just a green Joker. Him and Killer Croc were the first two main villains I saw browsing websites. Not familiar with any of the others other than the Gentleman Ghost, and his abilities are too much._

_I plan for Beast Boy and Raven to see each other again in chapter nine. First the whole story of what happened needs to come out._

_This chapter reveals the source of the silver minion._

_I didn't come across the villain Man Bat when I looked for ideas for shapes. Wish I had. Beast Boy spent quite a few million and only got two new forms, however useful they might be._

_That would be a good explanation: That Beast Boy feels more natural in animal shapes. But still, what a lot of abilities he's giving up. The speed of the flash, the strength of a Tamaranian, the ability to change into a dragon,... Someone needs to knock some sense into him._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Day of Surrender,... The Villains Revealed,... Beast Boy Babysits,...**_

The violet-eyed girl traced the newspaper clippings on the wall, wishing she could drop everything to go and find him. That wasn't going to happen. For one thing there was a city of millions that needed her. The damage done by the silver minions had reach over a billion dollars, and was still rapidly climbing. Leaving would mean its collapse; something she doubted the shape shifter would want. And then there was the fear of what might happen should she find him. She closed her eyes for a second, letting them rest.

Batman had searched for him, and had found the place where he'd been staying just three days after he'd left. He'd paid for the room with cash, and had seemed to have plenty to eat. Obviously he wasn't lacking for much, though where he'd gotten the money remained a mystery. For a little over two weeks there'd been a girl who'd visited him each evening, and who'd stayed for the night. Slim and athletic, with red hair and blue eyes, was how the hotel manager had described her.

Jealousy fluttered in her heart, and she carefully analyzed the emotion, placing it in its proper place. For a short while she silently meditated, and when her eyes opened she was only glad that he wasn't alone. To have him so hurt by the betrayal that he would refuse all companionship would've been unbearable. She knew all about loneliness and would never wish that on anyone. Him least of all.

Her communicator beeped and she picked it up. "Yes." She intoned.

"We're heading to the city in five." Cyborg told her.

"Okay." She replied, and turned the device off. Raven closed her eyes once more, and considered the silver minions.

There'd been seven during the last two weeks, following the usual pattern of one every second day. For a while they'd managed to hold their own. They couldn't spray enough acid on one to dissolve it, but they'd used a truck to carry a tank filled with Fluoroantimonic acid. It'd been a risky move, but it'd worked; at least it had the first time. Raven had simply lifted the cybernetic foe and dropped it in the corrosive liquid. For fifteen minutes she'd only to gently nudge it to keep it in the center of the tank, at which point it'd begun to beep, preparing to self-destruct. hen she'd lifted it away from the super acid, and watched it die. That one had only left two miles of debris behind it, doing four million in damage. Which was something they considered a success. Unfortunately, the next one had been designed to counter that trick. It'd altered its sound waves to destroy the tank, creating an environmental nightmare. The city wasn't too happy about that.

The violet-eyed girl peered at a clock, needing several seconds to be sure of the time. If all went according to schedule, the next one would appear in the city in ten minutes. Like finding a quick method of destroying them, all attempts to trace where they came from had failed. She nearly laughed at that. It would've been the perfect job for Beast Boy. With his eyesight as an eagle, he could've flown over the city and might have managed to see one when it arrived; maybe he could've even tracked it back to its place of origin. _Oh well. _She silently mused. _We made our bed, and we've got to lie in it. Too bad the rest of city does too._ She pushed herself up and headed to the T-car.

"Raven." Cyborg greeted her, looking like he could barely stand.

"Cy." She intoned. "What's the plan to deal with this one?" She didn't like the way he looked.

He glanced down. "The damage they've done is greater than we previously thought." He told her, not meeting her eyes. "City inspectors found that the infrastructure of some of the buildings was cracked, making them unsafe."

"Oh." Was all she could think to say. "How bad?" She asked, closing her eyes for a second and sighing.

He shrugged and his frown deepened. "Some of those buildings cost tens of millions to build. Replacing them would be..." He took a deep breath. "Between them the machines have covered hundred of miles, and passed over ten thousand buildings. The city estimates the cost of the damage to be over fifteen billion."

"Oh." She said again.

The cybernetic teen continued. "There's cracks in the sewage system as well. Minor, which is why it wasn't spotted earlier, but if left alone it will get worse. The same with the water system." He took another deep breath. "That's going to cost at least ten billion."

"The city?" She asked, looking down. It seemed she'd failed to protect the place for when he returned.

"They can't afford much more damage." The defeated teen informed her. "Twenty-five billion is serious, but not critical to a place like Jump City. We have one more chance to find a way to stop the machines before they decided to try to surrender."

"Any ideas?" She intoned apathetically, yet crying.

"No." There were tears in his one human eye as well.

"They've already appeared." Robin said, entering the room. The look on his face was one of abject defeat. "We're going to try to surrender, and just hope that's what the machines have been waiting for."

"They?" Cyborg asked.

"There's ten of them this time." Boy Wonder replied, clenching his fists. "By the time we handle one the rest of them would've caused ..." His voiced trailed off, and he gave a small tired shrug. "We've lost." He admitted, looking at the floor, unable to meet their gaze with his spirit broken.

"We should see if the machines will accept a surrender before we assume anything." Raven pointed out.

"Truth." Stafire said, staring into space as if lost in thought. "The Gordanians didn't accept our surrender. Instead they destroyed our world. Not just the cities but everything. The oceans and even the atmosphere was changed forever." The tears in her eyes flowed without any attempt at control, pouring freely down her cheeks.

Robin's communicator beeped and he looked at the message on it. "There're ten of the machines in Steel City too." he informed them. "The Titans East are surrendering as well."

"Is Jinx okay?" Cyborg asked, his tone one of pure misery.

"Yeah. No one has any major injuries." Robin told him.

* * *

Ten minutes later they stood in front of one of silver minions, and Boy Wonder stepped forward.

"Jump City is nearing collapse." He informed the machine. "We surrender."

The silver minion slowed its forward march, and everyone gave a sigh of relief. It seemed the machines could understand them after all. Previous attempts to negotiate had been met with silence. Then it froze, suddenly emitting a loud beeping. They stepped back.

"I think it's lost its signal with whoever was controlling them." Cyborg said five minutes later. "It's sending the same message over and over."

"What do we do?" Raven asked. "Do we destroy them?"

"No." Robin replied, though he was obviously tempted to say yes. "We gave our surrender, and if we break it who knows what they'll do. But we do continue looking for a weakness, and if we find one ..."

They all nodded. The safety of the city came first. Even before the honor of the Titans.

* * *

The wings of the White-throated Needletail grabbed the air, thrusting him forward at a little over eighty miles per hour. Free of having to lug around four hundred pounds of gold, Beast Boy had decided this was the only way to travel. If he really pushed himself, he could cross the thousand mile distance between Gotham and Spark City in a single day. Given the unsatisfiable desire he had to see clear skies once again, and to peer across the limitless miles as a bird was supposed to, the method of travel had been an easy choice to make. That he was tiring a bit easy he blamed on Jenny. She'd showed up despite her classes, and decided to give him one last farewell present. It was a miracle he could even lift his wings after that, let alone fly.

As for his decision to return to Spark City, it was simply a place he liked. Despite its industry the air was clean, and the forest and water were both close by; it was a nice place. Jump City wasn't too far away, and he might even return there for a bit. He'd been unjustly kicked from the team, but there was still points about the place he liked.

He circled, using a thermal to gain some altitude, and resumed the trip. A faint blur of red drew his attention, causing him to tilt his wings to circle around it. It was the heat signature of something, but other than the heat it was invisible. _Hot air from a thermal? _The shape shifter pondered, and decided it wasn't. The shape wasn't changing. Circling even closer, he let a wing reach out and caress it; it was solid.

Beast Boy followed it to the ground and observed as a silver machine of some sort stepped out. The shape shifter touched the area where it'd appeared, and his hand passed through it. Despite his intelligence, he was still at times reckless, so he poke his head through to take a look. It was the inside of a craft of some sort. He stepped in just as the door slammed forcefully down behind him. _Yikes! _He thought with a start. _If I'd just been poking my neck through like I was a few seconds ago ... _He gulped and rubbed his throat.

He stopped as a faint sensation of motion drew his attention; the instincts of prey being hunted caused him to shift his form to that of an amoeba. Looking around, he noticed cameras scanning what he figured was the cargo area of the craft. Until he knew who it was, he thought it best to play it safe. When the atmosphere started draining out of the vessel he panicked and shifted into a tiny Tardigrade, commonly called waterbears. The tiny animal, just a single millimeter in length would, for a time, be able to handle exposure to vacuum. Unable to do much else, he waited.

A clanging noise drew his attention, and the craft started to fill with air again. Deciding to be caution, he waited, hoping to see whose vessel he'd boarded. After an hour the door opened and a giant blue reptile peered in. Beast Boy cringed as he realized he was on a Gordanian ship. _Not good. _He told himself, wondering what to do. He didn't even know if they were hostile or not. He only knew they'd devastated Starfire's home world, and had taken her as a slave. Then they'd tried to destroy Jump City.

_Perhaps staying in Gotham another day wouldn't have been so bad after all. _The shape shifter sighed, at a loss as to what to do. If they were hostile then he might be able to handle a couple of them, but he would just be sport to a ship full of the blue creatures.

A few seconds later a couple of the aliens entered, along with another silver humanoid figure. When it nearly walked on him, he reverted back to being human to jump to one side. Immediately they turned towards him, and there was no doubt in his mind they were hostile. They reached for him, and he fled as a cheetah, out-racing them. A hundred feet later, just around a corner, he reverted back to be an amoeba, attempting to hide.

"Shape shifter. We know you have boarded our vessel. Surrender and your death will be less painful." A voice boomed out along the corridor. A minute later it repeated.

_Less painful than what? _Beast Boy gulped. The message left no doubt they were hostile, which meant only one thing; he would have to fight back. He nearly laughed at the idea. There were at least a hundred of the aliens running through the corridors looking for him, and that were just the ones he'd spotted. It was hopeless. A thought of Raven and her destiny crossed his mind. _Hopeless, but doesn't mean I can't try._ He settled down to think as more aliens rushed past him, and the voice boomed out several times.

The Joker's blood came to mind. If he were to fill the air with that it would be deadly. The toxin would be carried around the ship by the gentle breeze he felt, and would poison, if not kill, a lot of them. Repeat it a few times, and they might just decide to surrender to him. But that would mean killing. He resumed thinking.

_I need to find water. _He suddenly thought, amused. What he was about to try might not get them off the ship, but the results would be interesting to watch. _Getting to water is going to be a problem. _He noted as several of the creatures ran past, with one nearly stepping on him. Thinking on it, he decided that might not be such a bad idea. The aliens would have to drink sometime, and it would likely be water. At least he hoped that was the case. The next time one ran past he attached himself to the leg, and waited.

* * *

It was three hours later when the alien stopped in what seemed to be its private quarters, drank and ate, and then dropped off to sleep. Beast Boy became a humming bird and flew over to the faucet. Shifting to a worm, he traced the pipe until he came to a large reservoir of water. There, he reverted to an amoeba and gave the form one command: multiply.

He became two, which became four, which became eight,... which became a trillion, which became,... The reservoir eventually ran dry, and yet he still struggled to reproduce, estimating there were now ten million trillion of him spread out across the ship, lodged in pipes and crawlways, and even blocking whole corridors. The breeze that blew through the ship stopped as the ventilation system was clogged in dozens, and then hundreds of places.

Vaguely the shape shifter was aware of some of the amoeba being destroyed, but he could divide in thirty seconds and the lost ones were quickly replaced. The air became stale, and then deadly, as the oxygen in it vanished. For all their immense physical strength, Gordanians needed to breathe, and they could no longer do that. Even the breathing masks they might've used were now contaminated with the amoeba. Given a choice of death or fleeing, they chose to abandon the ship.

The multitude of amoeba became a dying mass as even they could no longer breathe the toxic air. He waited as a loriciferans, not needing oxygen, as the ship struggled to put itself in order again. The slight vibration he felt had him worried. Still he waited, and soon the air became breathable once more as the ventilation system was cleared.

* * *

He walked through the empty ship, watching as an army of small machines cleaned away the mess, still not sure what to do. Sure he'd just sent several hundred Gordanians fleeing, but he was still stuck on the vessel; a vessel which he was almost certain wasn't even close to the earth anymore. Where it was going he didn't even want to guess.

Wandering the halls, trying to find the control center, he came across the brig. _I wonder if there are any prisoners. _Beast Boy thought, suddenly feeling weak. _What if there were, and my attack killed them. _Trembling, he walked around, peering into the cells. One was occupied by a small unmoving form.

Pushing the button to open the door, Beast Boy stepped into the cell. The small female figure turned to look at him, eyes wide and scared, but still alive. He breathed a sigh of relief, yet was puzzled. He'd seen a hint of recognition in her eyes, yet he was definitely sure he'd never seen her before. So where would she have seen him? The shape shifter pushed the thought to one side, deciding it might be a mistake due her being an alien.

"Who are you?" He asked, and then almost kicked himself, knowing there was no way she could understand English.

"Aeopie." The scared figure replied in a timid voice.

Startled he studied her. She looked like your ordinary nine or ten year old girl except for her orange eyes and hair. Like a Tamaranian there was an orange tint to her skin. A strange contraption was on her head, and there were shackles around her wrists. "How do you know English?" He asked, trying to keep his voice gentle so as not to scare her more than she already was. There was a long pause, as the question seemed to terrify her despite his tone.

"The ship's translator is still working." She finally explained.

He knew she was lying. Her already intense fear had spiked as she'd said the words. "Are you Tamaranian?" He asked.

Aeopie shook her head. "No."

Beast Boy studied her some more. "I'm going to take the shackles off, okay?"

The girl cringed from him, drawing even further back into the corner where he'd found her.

"Don't you want them took off?" He asked, trying not to sound threatening.

She looked at her wrists, and finally nodded, holding them out.

He approached her, nose wrinkling as he realized just how terrified she was. His heart broke seeing the marks on her cheeks where she'd cried. Her frail form trembled as he worked on the shackles. He wasn't as good at picking locks as Robin, and it took him five minutes before they fell away. Immediately she tried to pushed herself back into the corner further.

"Why did the Gordanians take you prisoner?" Beast Boy asked, and nearly sighed as the question seemed to only cause her more fear. The front of her pant became wet and he turned away, embarrassed and not knowing what to do. "I'm not going to hurt you." He told her. "If I knew how this ship worked I would even take you back home." He didn't know why that made her tremble even more. Didn't she want to go back home to her own people? He backed off and sat in the far corner. "I'm not going to hurt you." He repeated, watching as she shivered uncontrollably while fiddling with the contraption on her head. "You want that took off?" He asked.

She gave him a surprised looked, and then a faint nod. Still she tried to push herself through the wall as he approached. For some reason the device had four locks, and was very secure.

"What does this do anyway?" The shape shifter asked, still working on it. Shaking violently, she didn't give a reply. Soon it came off, and for a second there was a strange sensation in his head. Moving back to the far corner once again he sat down.

"I don't suppose you know how to pilot this ship?" He mused with a sigh.

The girl rapidly shook her head, staring down at the floor.

The shape shifter blinked at the reaction. It was far more energetic than anything she'd done so far other than the nonstop trembling. "You do." He said, almost as an experiment, only to see her suddenly stand and flee.

Not knowing what else to do, he stood and gave chase. She was slower than an earth girl of the same age would be, and his altered genes made him fast. He caught her before she could even reach the door to the cell. "It's okay." He insisted. Not knowing what else to do, he held her as tears poured down her cheeks with her frail form pulling against his grip.

_Ye gods, I almost wish it'd been Slade or the Joker in that cell. _Beast Boy cried inside. _What do I do? _"Look." He told her. "If you know how to run the ship then lets just go to the control room, and you'll be back home however fast it can get us there."

Something inside the poor girl seemed to break, and she just nodded, looking like she was about to die. "Okay." She intoned, as if no longer able to feel. She led the way to what he guessed was the bridge of the ship. It certainly seemed to have a lot of consoles and stuff.

_Not a good place for a person like me. _He mused. _According to Cyborg I can break a device just by looking at it. I'm sure he was exaggerating though. _He gave it some more thought. _Pretty sure anyway._

"Ship. Coordinates for Talyn Beta Prime." The girl stated in a voice choked with tears. A mechanical voice read off a large stream of numbers which the girl punched into a console. It was so simple Beast Boy thought even he might be able to do it.

"Ship. Please give me coordinates to Earth." He tried.

"Invalid query. Term 'Please' not understood." Came the reply.

"Guess the Gordanians don't have a word for please." He mused aloud and gave it another try. "Ship. Coordinates for Earth." He clearly stated.

"Invalid query. Location Earth too unspecific." The ship replied.

"Ship. Coordinates for Sol Gamma Prime." The girl intoned, and the ship read off another long stream of numbers.

"Oh. I get it. Sol is the name of the star, so the name of your home star would be Talyn." Beast Boy said.

The girl nodded with her eyes seemingly vacant. It looked like fear had burned all emotion from her.

"Beta. So your planet is the second planet around Talyn. Gamma for three since Earth is the third planet." He queried further.

The girl called Aeopie nodded again, and trembled. Then tears started to run down her face again. Beast Boy nearly cried himself in frustration. _It's almost like dealing with Timid, only worse. _He sighed to himself, once again feeling a strange sensation in his head.

"Don't you want to go home?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head violently once again.

"Why not."

"They will kill me." She simply stated.

He blinked, surprised at the words. "But you're just a kid. I'm sure they won't."

"They will." Came a trembling response that booked no argument.

"I'll bet the Gordanians just told you that to scare you." He answered.

"I broke the primary law of my people." She stated, tears still streaming down her face. "It doesn't matter if I'm nine. They will kill me for it."

He looked at her doubtful. "You sure?" He asked, carefully studying her reaction.

She nodded. "It's the one absolute law of my people. The only punishment is death. No exception."

"How long has this law been in place, and has there ever been any exception?" The shape shifter asked, swallowing, still closely watching her.

"Nineteen thousand, six hundred, and forty-two years." Aeopie stated without hesitation. "There are no exceptions. Nine hundred and seventeen people have been executed for it. Forty-one of them were my age or younger and broke it accidentally."

"Accidentally and they were still executed? Children?" He gulped, pretty sure she was telling the truth as she knew it.

The girl nodded.

"Stop the ship." He told her gently. "I don't see much point in rescuing you from the brig of a Gordanian ship only to send you to your death."

"Ship! Stop!" The girl immediately stated, her voice still filled with fear.

"Stopped." The mechanical voice of the ship stated.

"What's the law you broke?" Beast Boy asked, keeping his voice gentle. The girl kept quiet, while once again he felt a strange sensation in head. With a sigh he rubbed his temples, wondering if he was getting a headache.

"I wonder what sort of food they have aboard here." He mused, almost for just for a change of subject. "I'm betting if Tamaranian food is bad then Gordanian food must be the worse in the universe."

The girl swallowed a few times. "They got my type of food aboard." She quietly replied, still glancing at him nervously. "Are you going to kill me?" She asked, obviously expecting him to say yes.

"No. Why would I?" The shape shifter asked, still confused.

"You don't kn..." Aeopie started to say, and then went quiet. "Food might be nice." She added, looking at the console. "And it's okay for earth people too."

Gordanian food turned out to be snakes and small rodents that were frozen. Aeopie's type of food turned out to be a sort of cake. The girl, who obviously knew where everything was, grabbed several pieces and ate fast, clearly hungry.

Beast Boy tried a piece and found it good. Nervous that it might not be compatible with humans he still ate. If it was poisonous he could counter it with a shape change. There were a variety of flavors and he tried three. "Is this food healthy for your people, or is it more like junk food?" He asked.

"Normal." Came the reply. The girl was looking down at herself, turning a bright orange.

_She was so nervous she's only just realized she peed herself. _Beast Boy realized with surprise. _But her nervousness is starting to fade. _He noted with relief, and made no mention he'd noticed her state. There was no need to embarrass her further. "Can you set the coordinates to earth?" He asked, only to see her fear flare up again. He closed his eyes and bite the inside of his mouth to keep from crying.

"Why're you afraid of earth?" He asked, once again focusing on keeping his voice calm.

She shrugged. "It's where I broke the law." Her voice was filled with heart wrenching terror.

"What's the law you broke?" There was no response. He could set the coordinates himself since she'd shown him how, but he didn't want to kill her with a fear-induced heart attack.

"Any place around here known for strong animals?" He asked, wondering.

Eagerly she nodded. "There are plenty of places no ones goes to because the wildlife is dangerous." She replied.

"How about we spend some time at one?" Beast Boy asked.

Without hesitation Aeopie nodded. Her own people it seemed might terrify her. The thought of earth might cause her to cringe. But a planet full of animals that people like the Gordanains avoided was perfectly okay. _Strange. _Beast Boy mused with frustration, just glad she wasn't crying. "Why did the ship leave earth?" He asked.

Still trembling, if not as much, the girl replied. "When all the Gordanians left the ship would've detected it, and would've automatically tried to return home."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." He replied. "I doubt it's a place I would've liked." He swallowed nervously at the thought.

"Me either." Aeopie answered. "They would've destroyed the ship before it could land."

"Why?" He wondered aloud.

The girl froze for a second as if realizing she'd said something wrong, and grabbed another piece of cake nervously. There was still fear in her eyes as she glanced at him.

_This is going to be a long day. _Beast Boy decided.

* * *

End of Chapter.

In the show Raven ends up babysitting. So lets see how Beast Boy does. Poor Beast Boy.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time skips will be less extreme for the most part from now on._

_What did she do to warrant the death penalty? Answered in this chapter. More like what she attempted to do._

_Sadly the attack was only stopped briefly. There would be more than one ship._

_I would think maybe other ships would've picked them up. Then they would've restarted operations. Sorry, this is told from Raven's and Beast Boy's point of view, so hard to answer all questions within the story. So probably a lot of details I'm leaving out. Maybe including it as something read from the ship's files or something Aeopie would know is something I might do later on. Hope the story isn't becoming to convoluted and starting to flop._

_If the power comes from the DNA would make sense for him to have it. If it's a learned skill then not so much sense. Which is why I don't just give him a billion shapes. So if he were given Kid Flash's DNA he would have the super speed, but wouldn't know how to create shock waves with his hands unless he learned it himself or was taught._

_Raven will heal her eyes eventually. She made a choice not to for a reason, and she staying true to that decision. In the show Slade and Terra conquer the city, yet the Justice league isn't called. I think they, like the Titans, must be pretty busy. Certainly within this chapter they will be._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Aeopie,... Tamaran,... New Shapes,... Aeopie's World,...**_

"I win." The girl gave an excited squeal, grinning across the table at him.

"So I see." Beast Boy admitted, wondering how a nine-year old could beat him at checkers time and time again. It was embarrassing. Sure he hadn't been focusing on the game, but still. The shape shifter looked at the makeshift board. He'd been soundly clobbered.

"Another." Aeopie asked, grinning impishly at him, her orange eyes a shade darker than usual.

"I guess." He sighed, knowing he couldn't say no. The girl had quickly discovered just how easy to was to get her way with just a pout or a frown. Tears weren't needed anymore.

The shape shifter used a rag to clean the board, and started drawing the checker pieces once again. Realizing games might help the timid girl get over her trauma he'd suggested some of the Gordanian computer games that the ship's computers carried. Ten seconds into the first game, with the screen displaying a very realistic image of a humanoid figure leaking guts all over the place, he'd turned it off and simply said that there was no way that was suitable for a nine-year old kid. He though she'd agreed with the sentiment. Her eyes had been a really dark orange while the rest of the face had been pale.

Considering his options, he'd searched for something to draw with. It'd been futile until, when asked, the girl had immediately produced several markers. It seemed she knew the ship very well. Something about that nagged at him, but he'd just pushed the thought to one side, too busy trying to understand an alien kid who'd spent goodness knows how much time in a Gordanian brig. A table in the kitchen, or whatever it was called on a ship, became a carefully drawn checkerboard. Lacking pieces, they simply drew in an 'x' for each checker, which was then erased and redrawn for each move. She always picked a bright orange for her 'checker pieces,' while he went with green or blue.

He'd learned a few things about the strange girl, who perhaps wasn't so strange after all. Like most kids he'd found she liked small animals. Her eyes always lit up when he changed into a kitten or puppy. She even liked playing fetch. How that'd started he had no idea. Why he was willing to humiliate him in such a fashion he had no idea. He only knew when she pouted his heart melted. She would throw a plastic stick, and they would both chase after it. He would get it first and return it to her. He wasn't exactly sure why that made her squeal, though it did. Then she would grin, and throw the stick again. And for some unexplainable reason he would chase it again. There were a lot of things he'd discovered he didn't understand.

That was how he'd learned she wasn't used to the ship's gravity, which to him seemed normal. It turned out her planet was quite a bit smaller than earth. She was certainly no Tamaranian. A game of fetch left her panting, requiring her to often sit down to catch her breath. Which begged the question, why had the Gordanians even bothered to shackle her? They were a match even for Starfire when it came to hand-to-hand combat, so why bother tying the hands of girl who even a five-year old earth kid could beat up?

From talking he'd also learned her people were pacifists. Given her fear they would kill her, he'd found that hard to believe at first. But she'd explained there was only one law her people had that carried even imprisonment, let alone the death penalty. What that law was she had yet to explain. The world she'd described was strange. A place where there were no prisons, and where the few crimes were met with less drastic measures like counselling, or the equivalent of community service. He'd managed to weasel that much out of her, after which she'd went quiet again, obviously afraid she'd told him too much.

With another sigh he made his first move, erasing and then redrawing a dark blue 'x.' "At least let me take a few of your pieces this time." He stated, glancing at her.

Aeopie grinned, and the orange in her eyes changed. "We'll see." She replied, making a move. While waiting on him she took a sip from a cup. He'd tried to mix one of the cakes into a cup of hot water to make hot chocolate, and she'd fallen in love with the drink.

"So. Is there any world with people you're willing to go to?" Beast Boy asked, looking at the board. From the side of his eyes he saw her frown with her eye color changing again. His ears told him her heart was now racing. He sighed. While getting a few alien forms was nice, he did want to return to earth. But even the mention of it caused the girl terror which, if his instincts were right, was total and absolute. He was afraid of what would happen if he forced her.

"This is a Gordanian ship." She explained. "People will attack."

She was lying. He knew it, and he thought she knew he knew. And it didn't make sense. According to her even going to a Gordanian world would get them shot at. Any attempts to suggest they could call ahead to warn them was met with silence. Nor did he believe a Gordanian ship would be automatically fired on. The race was powerful, and people would hesitate to draw their wrath down upon themselves. There would be caution and fear, but not immediate violence.

Which left him with one conclusion. It wasn't the ship that would cause people to attack. It was Aeopie. He'd tried to look up her race in the ship's database. There'd been only warnings to not approach any of her kind. The Gordanians did have a brutal justice system, and the punishment for anyone who approached a world populated with her people was death. No exceptions. Not just the captain, but the whole crew would be executed in a way that defied belief. The gruesome detail the computer had gone into caused him to shudder.

_Her people are a race of pacifists. _The shape shifter mused to himself. _Physically weak, with no weapons. Which should make the blue-skinned reptiles called Gordanians drool. Easy pickings. Right? Yet they're terrified of them._

"Your move."

Her voice drew him from his thoughts. Looking at the board he quickly made a move. "If we don't visit a world soon we'll have to start eating Gordanian food.." Beast Boy told her.

"Okay." Came the reply. Meaning she'd rather eat the food than visit a populated world.

The shape shifter sighed. "Why do the Gordanians fear you so much anyway?" He was pretty sure it wasn't just the Gordanians. Her people would be easy prey for any aggressive race.

The girl shrugged, and focused on the board. Her eyes though twitched, and he could see she was nervously peeking at him. Her heart was beating at twice its normal rate.

The shape shifter closed his own eyes and sighed. They couldn't just stay away from everyone forever. "How did they capture you if they're not allowed near your worlds?" He asked.

She trembled, but seemed to know he needed at least one answer. "Robot." She explained, voice quavering. "Was small and cute and ..." The girl frowned, obviously near tears. "Was different and I wanted to see it. But now I can't ever go home again." The tears started, and then she was sobbing uncontrollably.

Watching, his heart broke with tears of his own filling his eyes.

* * *

Raven climbed the steps to her new home. It wasn't much. One bedroom with a small kitchen and facilities. Whoever controlled the silver minions had ordered Titans Tower evacuated. The rest of them had found places that were a bit better, but she found she liked the small, dark space she'd discovered.

Two days after they'd stopped moving the robotic legion had reactivated, and had given their orders. Facilities to mine mineral deposits near Jump City were to be constructed. Work hours were from five a.m. to six p.m. with no holidays. Anyone outside after seven p.m. would be punished. The education system was to be dismantled and only necessary instructions were to be given to children... The orders continued, but what it basically broke down to was that Jump City would be a mining base for whoever was behind the silver minions. Its citizens would be slaves.

Jump City wasn't the only place targeted. Several thousand of the robots had been dropped in various major cities around the world. In all nearly two billion people were now beneath the control of the unknown villain. Places that were populated with superheroes had been specially targeted to counter them. Metropolis had been scattered with a dust made from kryptonite. Superman was severely weakened while in what was his home city. Rumor had it that a computer virus had rendered many of the devices used by Batman useless. The news wasn't good.

And worst of all, there'd been no further news about Beast Boy. What little was left of the media had carried no reports of the green-skinned hero. Worry beat in the violet-eyed girl's heart, and even meditation couldn't dislodge it. _He's smart and strong. _The violet-eyed girl told herself. _If worse comes to worse he can hide better than any of us. The bottom of the sea or even deep beneath the ground._

She opened the door and stepped inside, careful to lock it behind her. Whoever was behind the attack had ordered the police department, along with a number of other services, dismantled. While she had little to fear from common thugs, it was better to play it safe. The rest of the people weren't so lucky. Nearly everyone had been robbed at one point or other by the ever-growing swarm of gangs and looters. The would be conquers weren't going to get much in terms of minerals from the city. It would tear itself apart long before the mining facilities could be built. That led to the idea that they didn't understand humans very well, which had led to the idea they weren't human.

The team had discussed that and had agreed with her. Their technology was beyond what humans currently had. The way they'd tried to restructure things was self-defeating. In the end it didn't help much. The silver minions were still practically indestructible, and there wasn't much of a chance without access to the tower's resources that they could find a weakness.

Cyborg was still working on it though. He'd hacked into several computer systems and was trying to run simulations to find a weakness. Robin had taken to the streets and was making random attacks on the robots using various methods, hoping to find someway to beat them. Starfire had disappeared somewhere.

Raven sighed. She was looking at things from a more mystical point of view, but in her weakened state it was slow. Happy and Timid were still missing, and she was still not welcomed in Nevermore.

A knocked on the door interrupted her thoughts. Carefully, she reached out with her senses only to find it was the missing Starfire. The violet-eyed girl opened the door to let her friend in.

"How're you doing, friend Raven?" The orange-skinned alien asked, sounding defeated.

"I'm fine." She intoned. "And you?" She looked the girl over with her blurry vision, not liking what she saw. Defeat wasn't just in her voice, it was written all over her body posture.

"I've come to say good-bye."

The reply startled Raven. She'd never expected the girl to leave. "Why?" She intoned.

"Tamaran is finally dying." Came the reply. "The blow the Gordanians stuck in my youth was a fatal one. We always knew that." The girl sank down in a chair, unable to stand. "Once my people numbered in the billions.' She explained. "Yet only a few thousand of us survived. Can you imagine the weapons they used to cause such destruction?"

Raven swallowed, frowning. Tamaranians were tough. Very very tough. It took a lot to even hurt one, let alone kill them.

"Four fifths of the oceans were boiled dry, and lost into space along with over half of our atmosphere." Starfire continued. "We'd once hoped what was left of the oceans might recover, and that life might then spread across the land. It's not to be. We always knew it wasn't to be, yet we'd hoped." Sobs came from her. "We will try to colonize another world, but our race is not welcomed by other people. And to have children we need a world like Tamaran used to be."

Dropping her facade, Raven didn't know what to do. She pulled the girl close and hugged her, weeping as well. This was no time to pretend she didn't feel. She could, and it hurt so much. Almost she wished she were truly emotionless.

* * *

Beast Boy knew he was in trouble. Angry, he'd decided to go down to the planet they were around and find new shapes he could use. His anger was only partly at Aeopie. Sure her refusal to explain why he couldn't go home was getting to him, but he doubted it was her fault. Most of it was at the idea a kid could be so afraid that she would try to avoid all people. And somehow he doubted her kind was meant to live solitary lives. Obviously she wanted to go home, but she didn't believe she could. Afraid he might take his anger out on her, he'd left.

Anger wasn't a good thing on a world where the gravity was twice what you're used to. A place where the creatures are so fast you can't even see them move. He'd got half a mile from the cargo craft he'd used to land before realizing the trouble he was in. He'd been loud moving around, and sound was something that carried quite well on this world. It was also something its inhabitants were quite adept at detecting.

The way behind him was blocked by what could be thought of as a wolf pack. Forward there were several creatures the size of elephants, if a bit squatter. The shape of either he wouldn't mind having, but not at the cost of his life. Running wasn't an option given he weighted twice what he normally did. Nor was flying since any bird shape he had wouldn't be able to take off in this brutal gravity field. Hiding as an amoeba would only get him so far as he was pretty sure there would be plenty of small stuff waiting to tear him apart.

It would take a very power form to let him do much, and he could only come up with two possibilities. Killer Croc, or the beast. He became the beast since it was a little faster, yet almost as strong. It wouldn't be good enough. Focusing on his hands he saw them grow the claws that came with Killer Croc's form. Then desperately, he pushed his mind to its limits and changed his skin to that of the Killer Croc's as well. It was the best he could do, the speed and reflexes of the beast, combined with some of the natural weapons and defenses of the man-shaped crocodile.

One of the squat elephants reached him, and he put his back to a giant tree, hoping he would only have to face one foe at a time. Its charge nearly impaled him on its tusks, but he slipped between them and raked his claws down across its three eyes. Two of them started to bleed. It screamed a scream no earth-born ear had ever heard, nor would ever want to hear. In the thick atmosphere it sounded eerie, sending shivers down his spine. Knowing it couldn't risk its last eye, the creature backed off.

Beast Boy watched as several members of what he called the wolf pack surrounded it, and then attacked. Like him they went for the eyes. The poor creature, blind and panicked, started to emit weird cries that boomed through the mist. The shape shifter shivered again, and just barely noticed one of the wolves attack him. Razor sharp claws slashed at him, ripping into the tough hide he'd formed as protection. Between having flinched out of the way, and the little protection the armor had provided, the wound was minor. The shape shifter stepped forward and slashed as well. His foe flew five feet through the air and landed on its back. In this gravity that wasn't good; a bad fall could kill. It managed to get to its feet and limp off.

Another of the elephant creatures attacked, and he dropped down beneath the threatening tusks. It started to try to crush him beneath its feet. Having to keep three of the sturdy legs on the ground or collapse, it could only use one at a time. That was something Beast Boy was thankful for as his hide took a very serious pounding. His claws ripped into the attacking limbs, and it seemed something resembling a tendon must've been situated in the front of the creature's legs since one of them suddenly went still. The creature turned and tried to hobble off, but the wolf pack was on the job and swiftly took it down. _Wonder if feeding them like that will make them like me. _The shape shifter wondered. Somehow he doubted it. They would take what he wounded, and then take him. _Oh well. _He sighed, already tired from fighting the ever tiring gravity of this place.

Instinct caused him to suddenly lift his right claw. The impact of something hitting it slammed him painfully back against the tree. On the claws was the body of something that looked like a snake. Not too huge, but he saw what he thought might be venom dripping from its needle-sharp fangs. With a flip of his wrist he sent it flying just in time to meet the charge of another wolf. He stepped into its attack before it was ready and preempted with a strike of his own. The creature went flying. Landing, it decided to just limp away. Even adapted to this place it seemed the crushing gravity worked against them. If they fell they got hurt, just like he would.

Two members of the wolf pack left the elephant creature they were tearing into and focused their attention on him. _Not good. _Beast Boy noted, and left the protection of the tree to lash out at one. If both of them got to him at the same time he was a goner. _Wonder how long Aeopie_ _would wait in orbit for me. _He wondered. _Then again, she's so afraid of meeting people she might never leave. _His slash caught the wolf across one eye, making it draw back a short ways. Then the other one was on him, and he felt his flesh tear, ripped in several places as its claws sliced brutally through it. Thankfully the hide armor he wore was thick, and seemed to seal wounds to keep them from bleeding excessively. If not for that he would already be dead. Turning he slashed at the wolf with his claws, meeting its next charge. It broke his wrist, but the wolf backed off, bleeding heavily.

He moved back against the tree, panting and dizzy from the effort of just staying on his feet. The remaining elephant creatures had fled with the death of two of them. Two members of the wolf pack were injured in the fall they'd taken and were staying back. The rest though were focusing on him. The end was near. Then a moment of weakness caused him to slip on the blood that was pooling around him. _The end isn't just near. _The shape shifter realized. _It's here. _He struggled to get to his feet while, as one, the remaining nine members of the wolf pack turned and charged.

Silence reigned in the clearing. The wolves all rushed over him, with neither of them biting at him or even taking a single slash with their claws. He could see their eyes, and knew it was in their nature to do so. Yet none of them did. Their scent filled his nostril with their stink as they passed within inches of his head. Then they turned and fled, making not a sound. _That was strange. _Beast Boy thought, struggling to stand up. Looking through the forest in the direction of the cargo craft he knew this was his only chance. Using the DNA he'd gained from the wolf pack he switched into one of them and raced through the trees, trying to keep from collapsing as he drained the last of his strength from his battered body.

* * *

Twenty minutes later he stepped from the cargo craft and into the ship. Aeopie was waiting for him. She always seemed to know when he was coming back from a planet, and was always in the same spot. This time she looked frightened. There was a slight pain in his head, and this time he thought he knew its source.

"You tried to kill me." The shape shifter simply said, looking at the girl. Her eyes flared a deep orange, but she didn't deny it.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked, glancing down the corridor, yet not fleeing. It would be futile even if he was seriously wounded.

"But you just saved me. So I guess it cancels out." Beast Boy added. "Mind getting a jar from the kitchen and filling it with water. Then add a slice of the cake you call food to it."

She blinked, as if surprised at the request. Which given its nature she probably was. "You're not going to kill me?" She asked, clearly not believing it.

"Don't see why I should." He said, slumping down on the floor. "I would appreciate that jar though." He'd gained four new shapes, but the price had nearly been his life. As the girl moved as fast as she could towards the kitchen he analyzed them. The wolf, which he would have to think of a better name for. The squat elephant creature, again which he would have to think of a better name for. The snake which had nearly got him.

And then strangely enough there was another. The tree he'd been backed against he realized. _Guess the plants on this planet aren't exactly plants after all. _He mused. It'd been huge. He'd only seen a small fraction of it, but he guessed it was at least sixty feet in diameter, and over five hundred feet tall. It was beyond huge. Immobile there was no way he could attack with it, but as a defense it was pretty impressive. To survive in that gravity it had to be tougher than steel, and its sheer volume meant anything that attacked him in that form would only leave the equivalent of scratches. _I'm more than happy with that shape. _He painfully mused as the girl came rushing back, half walking fast and half running. She was panting.

"Place it on the floor." He told her. "This is how I usually heal fast." He smiled at her. With the girl watching he vanished into the form of an amoeba. The jar was filled with nice particles of floating matter he could eat, while the water was otherwise pure. A pretty nice place to rest as a single-celled organism and rest.

* * *

Two hours later he resumed his human form.

"You okay?" The waiting girl asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine. No wounds anymore." He smiled at her again. She looked like she might've been crying again, and she was pale.

"You going to kill me?" She asked, looking calm as she asked the question.

"Of course not." He replied. That was why he'd let her watch the jar as he healed. In that tiny form he'd been very vulnerable. She had to know that, and she had to know it'd taken a lot of faith in her for him to have trusted her like that. It'd been a risk, but it'd paid off. "So why do people fear you?" He asked.

"We're a race of telepaths." Aeopie explained without hesitation, as if glad to be able to finally talk freely.

Beast Boy listened. It seemed that a little under twenty thousand years ago another race, called the Beolpticians had decided the people of her world would be easy to conquer. The Beolpticians hadn't been a particularly violent or aggressive race. Certainly nothing like the Gordanians. They had just seen a weaker race and decided to take what they could. It'd been a fatal mistake on their part. They'd killed a number of Aeopie's people before they knew what was going on. Her people didn't have war, and didn't understand it. They'd naturally reacted violently with three billion of them sending one command to the invading fleet. '_Do onto your own ten-fold what you planned for us.' _Was the message they'd vengefully screamed as they'd held dying friends in their arms.

The Beolpticians had obeyed. They'd returned to their own home world and unleashed the weapons of their fleet upon it. Taken by surprise, the defenses of that world had had no chance. The ships were their own, and there'd been no reason to expect the assault. Aeopie's people had meant what they'd screamed, ten-fold the price for their own dead which numbered in the low thousands. But in their grief and rage they'd made a mistake. The message had come from three billion minds, and in the minds of the would be conquers had been repeated three billion times. They burned their own world clean of all life.

That done they'd visited each of their seven colony worlds and repeated the process. Then, without hesitation, they'd turned their weapons upon each other. In the end only one small vessel had survived. It'd headed back to Talyn, the star of Aeopie's people, and plunged into it.

Her people had watched, horrified at what they'd done as that small ship had re-entered their system not to attack, but merely to give the message that they'd done as they'd been ordered, and to complete the task. Frantically they'd tried to order the ship to stop, but the minds of the people who crewed it had been too shattered to listen or obey. For the two thousand they'd killed the Beolpticians had paid the price of sixteen billion, and with the life of their race as a whole.

As they'd listened to those shattered mind, seeing what they'd done and felt, Aeopie's people had been forever changed. Eight worlds cleansed of life with sixteen billion dead. They'd created the law, killing was forbidden. It was absolute and all-encompassing. Man or woman or child, it didn't matter.

"No wonder people are so afraid of you." Beast Boy said, looking at the now quiet girl. "Without a single weapon you cleansed eight worlds. And there's only one defense. To never come into contact with you. Any ship that does must be suspect, and can't be trusted." The shape shifter frowned, also understanding that her world was as close to paradise as could be obtained. There was no crime, the people could go wherever they wanted freely. There was no need, for if one person was in pain many felt it and would respond. He'd been right, her people were social creatures, and she'd been denied contact with her own kind forever. It must be brutal for her.

It also explained why the Gordanians had went through the efforts of kidnapping her. She meant power for those who controlled her. Power no one could trace or counter.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	8. Chapter 8

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Her own people would kill her because she tried to kill. That she was forced wouldn't matter. That she's a child wouldn't matter. For them that one law is absolute._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**The Fight Revisited,... A New Decree or Two from the Silver Minion,... Finding Fuel,... A World Given Hope,...**_

Beast Boy stretched and yawned, turning on the vast bunk he'd claimed as his just a little over two weeks ago. With the ship having carried a crew of around two hundred there'd been plenty of places for him to choose from. Scratching his head he yawned again and staggered to his feet, wishing he could just sleep in. He'd been up late thinking, and there were only two of them on the giant vessel, but that didn't mean he could just laze around. _Much as I want to. _He muttered to himself, nearly tripping over his own two feet as he headed to the washroom to shower.

Less than twenty minutes later, fully awake, he eased the door to his room slowly open and looked down. As usual there was Aeopie, curled up against the door asleep. His sensitive ears heard her arrive each morning, which was what usually woke him up. Not wanting her to lay on the cold metal floor for too long meant getting up himself. He stooped down and rapped the floor beside her ear with his knuckles. Immediately her eyes opened and she too yawned.

"Breakfast time." He told her. Offering her a hand, he pulled her to her feet.

"You're not going to kill me?" She asked, keeping hold of his hand as they headed to the kitchen.

"No. Why would I?" The shape shifter asked with a slight smile, feeling her fragile grip. Each morning his hand was only offered to help the gravity-challenged girl get to her feet, yet each morning she would cling to it like her life depended on it. He resisted the urge to shake her loose, knowing she would pout, and he just couldn't take that. For another if he was right then loneliness didn't begin to describe what she felt. Used to having a billion people she could open her mind to must make the ship seem like torture.

She didn't answer his question, instead she kept quiet and held his hand with all her might. His ears told him when her heart beat calmed a little. _She was still afraid of that. _He thought to himself, with his heart nearly breaking as it ache in sympathy for the poor girl.

A few minutes later he was wiping away a pale blue x and redrawing it on their makeshift checkerboard. "If you can control people, why don't you just make sure I can't hurt you?" He asked.

"I can't." She muttered, eyes focused on the board, nibbling on a piece of cake.

"Oh?' Beast Boy looked at her, wanting a better explanation. She'd fallen asleep on him yesterday before he could question her further, and he'd just tucked her into her bunk. Now he was getting the full story whether she liked it or not.

"Your mind is weird." She explained, eyes still on the board. "It's like there're dozens and dozens of you."

"Can you read my mind?" He asked, wondering if it was his potential to shape shift she was sensing, or rather the minds of the hundreds of forms he had.

"No." She reached out and moved, taking three of his pieces.

Beast Boy just stared. "I almost wish you'd said yes." He muttered, looking at the board. "At least that would explain why I keep losing to you."

She giggled. "Checkers is fun." She added, grabbing her cup. "I'm not very strong." She explained after taking a sip. "And I'm just a kid. When I grow up I'll be able to do more."

"Oh." The shape shifter mused, and took one of her pieces before looking at her again. "I want to know exactly what you did when Raven and the others attacked me." He reluctantly used a serious tone, and winced as he saw her become stressed with her heart rate soaring. "I'm guessing the Gordanians told you to do it, and you had no choice. Just tell me everything. Okay. I'm not angry at you." He toned the seriousness down a bit.

Aeopie nodded, and took a deep breath. "They wanted to break up the people protecting the earth, so they tried to get me to hurt them. But I'm not that strong yet and I couldn't even touch your mind." She paled, recalling the event. "That made them very angry. Then they did something to your computers and told me to make your friends think in a certain way. I couldn't, but I could make them angry so that's what I did. And when the fight started I really focused on getting them to do certain stuff. It didn't work." The girl frowned into her cup, with tears starting to run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She sobbed.

Beast Boy reached across the table and held her hand. "What do you mean it didn't work?"

She blinked away the tears. "Robin was the easiest one. He was fully human, but he kept resisting the command to kill you. When the fight finally broke out he was really mad, but not enough to kill. Then he grabbed a disc and he wasn't sure if it was the right one. I only managed to get him to throw it by making him feel sure it was the right one. If he'd known it was the wrong one he wouldn't have."

"And Raven?" The shape shifter prompted, feeling a mix of emotions twist inside him.

"Her mind is something like yours, like there's nine or ten of her, and I couldn't touch it directly. But she's very emotional so that's what I did. I made her angry and that made her lose control. She should've went into a rage and tried to kill you, but for some reason I could only make it last a second, and then she just felt sad and alone and worried. When the fight started she was conflicted. Robin was her boyfriend, but she wanted to protect you instead. I don't think she even realized that." The girl frowned. "I only managed to make her angry enough to lash out when you were holding Robin. I sort of managed to get her to focus on him instead of you."

"Oh." _That was interesting_. Beast Boy mused, feeling a little weird.

"Cyborg already had his cannon set to full power." Aeopie continued. "I did that before the fight and sort of made it slip his mind. When he entered the room I just made him angry enough to not check it. Then I fueled Starfire's worry over Robin, making her think he was dead. They refused to kill you, so I had to work around it." The girl finished her explanation in a rush and stared down.

"The glued book?" He asked.

"She was already incredibly mad over that. I just made her madder." Aeopie explained. "It made her hit harder than she planned to."

"I see." The shape shifter said. Hitting like that had been out of character for the violet-eyed girl. Sure he often annoyed her, but she'd never done anything that actually hurt before. That'd been a first. "Your move." He told the girl whose eyes were a very dark shade of orange.

"You're not going to kill me?" She asked, making her move and taking two of his pieces in the process.

"Stop asking that." Beast Boy told her. "Do you really think I am?"

She was quiet for a long time. "No." She sounded relieved, as if she'd only just accepted the fact. The intense dark orange in her eyes faded to a paler shade.

"And I'm pretty sure they'll forgive you to." He told her. "So why don't we go and do just that." The girl's eyes turned a darker shade again, and he sighed. _Not going to be that easy. _He silently noted.

"The Gordanians are still there." She stated.

"We took their ship?" The shape shifter frowned.

"They got twenty-one ships." Aeopie explained.

"Oh." Beast Boy gulped and felt shivers run down his spine. "What're they doing?" He asked.

"Invading." She explained. "They don't usually care for worlds where the people fight back, but earth has a lot of resources and a technological civilization at the right point where they're useful, but not so much that they can build effective weapons. But five of you destroyed one ship before so they're playing it safe. They're planning on using robots to police the people without showing themselves until they know they've won."

"Oh." He stared at the girl. "You know that means I've got to go back. No choice Aeopie."

"You can't." She let go of his hand and stared down, her eyes as bright an orange as he'd ever seen them.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. Not if I can help it. You're ..." He struggled to find the right words. "You're like a little sister. I'll protect you no matter what."

She blinked, looking at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Trust me. There's no one else in the whole universe I would humiliate myself playing fetch with."

"I'm sorry." Tears stared to run down her face again.

He stared, puzzled._ What is it now?_ Beast Boy wondered with a sigh.

"We can't go back to earth." Aeopie sobbed.

"Why?" He kept his voice gentle.

"We don't have enough fuel. I wanted to make sure we couldn't go anywhere so I didn't tell you when it was getting low."

"Oh." He sat back to think. "Is there any place we can reach that would have fuel?"

"I don't know. Maybe a few places, but even if I weren't here they would attack a Gordanian ship."

He held out his hand. "Come on. Let's go and check. Beside when we get to earth they got a lot different cakes. I'm sure you'll love it."

Tentatively, peering up to see if he was angry, she reached out to take the offered hand.

* * *

The three of them gathered in the empty alley, meeting to discuss the new situation.

"Whoever's behind this is insane." Cyborg said, clearly shaken.

"They got to be." Robin replied, face pale.

"Not insane." Raven intoned. "They're not human. They can't be. The same rules don't apply." Her expression was one of horror, matching those of the other two.

A new decree had come down from their would be masters. It simply stated that any male over the age of fifty was to be killed while any women past childbearing age was to be similarly execute. It seemed unless a man was able to work in their mines he was considered useless; if a woman wasn't able to bear more slaves she was considered useless.

"Has a similar ordered been issued for the other cities?" Robin asked.

"No." The violet-eyed girl intoned. "I think they're catching on to the fact their policies are going to backfire on them. Jump City has become an experiment where they test new ideas."

"With technology like that they can't be stupid." Cyborg muttered. "The way they broke up the team means they can't be totally clueless about humans." He shook his head. "This is insane."

"Not a single person." Raven suggested. "Someone gives orders, and a subordinate carries them out. The group that broke us up understood us, but those at the top don't."

"Only explanation." Boy Wonder sighed. "So what do we do?"

"A second." Cyborg replied as his attention seemed to shift elsewhere. A minute later he closed his human eye and spoke faintly, nearly whispering. "Just came over the radio. A new decree. Kill four fifths of the female children." The cybernetic teen trembled in rage and fear. "Seems they only want workers and they think only males can work. They only want enough women to keep the population stable."

For a long time the other two could only stare in shock.

"What do we do?" Raven asked, directing the question towards Boy Wonder.

"We fight." He replied, eyes closed. "It's the only thing we can do. Before we could afford to wait, to see who was behind this and then strike. But that's not an option anymore. We can't kill billions of innocent people. And I'll die before I let them hurt a single child."

"It's the only thing we can do." Cyborg intoned, too shocked to express the rage he felt.

"Agreed." Raven said. "That's obvious. But how?"

"I don't know." Their leader admitted, looking down at his clenched hands. "We've already tried everything."

"Wrong." Raven spoke sharply. "Things are different now. The city isn't the roads or the buildings. It's the people. It doesn't matter anymore if we lose a few bridges or if the sewage system collapses. It doesn't matter if we lose whole city blocks. Before we had to hold back. Now we don't. There is something we can do. We just have to find out what it is."

The two turned to look at her.

"I might have an idea or two." Cyborg said.

* * *

"So, this is the only place." Beast Boy said, looking at the magnified image of a world still several billion miles away. "But why would they have fuel? They don't use starships." The planet was white with what looked very much like streaks of blood running across its surface.

"Their Citadel uses it though." Aeopie explained. "It requires a lot of power."

"Oh." He looked at the image again, studying the ruined planet of Tamaran. He turned as alarms sounded across the ship.

"Told you." Aeopie said. "This world hates Gordanians, and they're coming for us."

"We'll just explain we stole the ship." Beast Boy said. "If that don't make them love us nothing will." He smiled at the frightened girl.

"They're not going to listen." She pointed to a screen that showed twenty Tamaranians approaching, hands glowing with starbolts.

The radio proved futile, and for Aeopie to use her powers would give away the fact she was on board. In the end Beast Boy ended up donning a spacesuit much too large for him, and then going out to meet the approaching attackers. "Stay inside and don't do anything that would let them know you're there." He ordered the girl as he left.

"Hello." The shape shifter said a few minutes later as the Tamaranians drew close. The greeting was ignored as starbolts tore into his suit. With the vacuum of space tearing at him, he shifted into Killer Croc, hoping the form's tough hide would help protect him. His eyes started to buldge, and the air seeped from his clenched lips as he tried to hold his breath. Several fists pounded into him as the enraged attackers strove to tear him apart with their bare hands. They were mostly female, but finally one hit that was male, and he stole the DNA he needed.

Beast Boy shifted into the form of a green Tamaranian, bleeding from several cuts, with bruises scattered all over his body. The harsh environment of space no longer had any affect on him.

The stunned foes drew back for a second before one woman flew forward, attacking. "It's a trick." She exclaimed, raining starbolts at him.

Instinctively he dodged, using the form's ability to fly, grinning as he did so. Tamaranian powers were fueled by emotion, and he was part beast which was nothing but pure emotion. _And there's the girl I need to protect. _He thought. It was twenty to one, but he ignored that, and just believed he would win, letting his boundless confidence harden him to the impact of starbolts on his flesh.

Turning to face the woman leading the attack, he focused on his need to protect a small nine-year old girl. The one he'd called his sister. Righteous fury fueled his starbolts, knocking the woman away with blasts that burned like green lightning. Turning and dodging, he struck back.

The battle raged back and forth, both protecting what was precious to them. In a one-on-one combat Beast Boy would've won easily. He'd seen Starfire fight, had sparred with her. His knowledge of how they fought, along with the beast he channeled, gave him an immense advantage. But there were twenty of them. Refusing to let his knowledge of certain victory diminish, he fought savagely even as his body was pummeled from twenty directions.

He focused on one, and dodged behind her, using her to shield him from the others as he rained starbolts upon her. As she twisted around to attack, he grabbed her hand and used her own movement to further the spin, keeping himself shielded. The others spread out around them, and he was once again under attack from all directions. He raced out and choose another shield.

The third time he tried it the woman tried to close her arms around him to keep him in place. Desperately, he made a succession of nearly instantaneous transitions; first to an insect, and then back to a Tamaranian. He took the moment of surprise to rain righteous fury upon his foe who was sent flying backwards. Moving with superhuman speed, he choose another shield and repeated the same trick.

Never stopping, never hesitating, he held them back for several minutes by the sheer speed and fury of his attacks. Several times he tried to speak to them, but they saw only the Gordanian warship with its weapons pointed out into space. Weapons which had once devastated their world. Still he knew he was losing. To keep his near invulnerability from fading he rejected the thought and replaced it with one that let him continue the fight. _Everything has a weakness, I just need to find theirs. I won't lose. I WILL win. _He told himself, focusing on the girl who would die if the starship was attacked. Searching desperate for a way achieve victory, he tried every trick he could. When one attack flung him against the hull of the ship it came to him.

_I beat Starfire once. _He recalled. _How? Mass and pure speed. I can't become an elephant here, but I've got something better. I got a really really large stick._ "Stop." He yelled out. "If we continue this I might hurt you, and neither of us want that."

"You're the one bleeding Gordanian." A woman called out.

"True. But I haven't gotten serious yet. And I'm not a Gordanian." The shape shifter replied.

"Right. They just gave you one of their starships." Another woman mocked.

He tried to explain how he'd acquired the vessel, but was met with a rain of starbolts. _Why are they mostly woman? _He wondered, as he thrust himself away from the ship, and eyed three of the attackers who were in a straight line circling him. _Perfect. _He mused, as starbolt after starbolt hit him. He started to spin until he was rotating around in a circle; then he became the Tree, as he'd choose to call the shape.

Born on a world with a gravity twice that of earth it was hard as steel. Sixty feet in diameter, with a height of five hundred, it massed over sixty thousand tons. Rotating with the speed he'd gained as a Tamaranian its edge was moving at over two thousand miles per hour. It smashed the three Tamranians he'd aimed at away like the wrath of a god. _So much for being useful only for defense. _Beast Boy mused, hoping the three were okay. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but they were focused only on their old enemy, and would rejoice at some small measure of justice.

Seeing the three return a few seconds later, the shape shifter kept rotating, making flash transitions to the tree and back. The Tamaranians were knocked away like balls against a baseball bat. For all their abilities, the transitions came too fast for them to see, and they didn't even know what was suddenly wrecking havoc on them. Seeing the ones he'd already hit were hurt he focused on the others. Then, deciding a second impact might really injure them, he stopped and waiting for their reaction.

The twenty bruised and battered Tamaranians stared at him. Their confidence was gone while his was soaring. Still even as he tried to speak, to explain, they moved as one to attack. He repeated the process, rotating in the form of the giant Tree, but only at half the speed he'd used before. He flashed through the transitions at an incredibly rapid pace; first a green-skinned Tamaranian to aim, then using the giant Tree to strike. When finished he waited again.

"Stop." He begged, as his battered and bleeding foes moved to attack again. There was no reply. They were soldiers protecting their devastated world, and it seemed nothing short of death would stop them. He wondered if the ship had enough fuel retreat. Killing them wasn't an option.

"Stop!" A voice commanded, and the twenty immediately halted the attack.

"Princess Starfire." One of the women said, and they all made a kneeling motion as though they were standing on a solid floor. "It's not safe here. Return to ..."

"Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, floating in front of him.

"Hi Starfire." The shape shifter replied, glad the fight seemed to be over.

Suddenly the girl backed away as she recalled how they'd last parted. The battle where the Titans had tried to kill him, where she'd tried to kill him. "I'm sorry." She simply said. "I don't know what came over me,... over us"

"Huh?" He asked, confused. Oh that. It's over and done with." He told her as he realized what she was talking about.

"You're not angry?" The orange-skinned alien asked, surprised.

"No. Seems the Gordanians were playing tricks." He pointed to the ship. "Found them dropping off some sort of silver machines in Spark City."

Starfire eyed the ship. "Where're the crew?" She simply asked.

"They abandoned it." Beast Boy told her. "I didn't take kindly to them trying to kill me." He explained with a shrug as she raised an eyebrow.

"You're not angry." She asked again.

"Only at the Gordanians." He replied, only to be grabbed in a bone crushing hug. The twenty Tamaranians surrounding them raised their eyebrows at that, but did nothing.

"We've missed you." Starfire exclaimed, backing off. "The guilt when we found out the truth ..." She paused.

"How's Raven doing?" The shape shifter asked, and then nearly kicked himself. "And the rest?" He hurried to add.

The Tamaranian looked at him closely, and a small smile tugged at the edge of her lips. "She misses you the most of all. The others are okay, but they've surrendered. The Gordanians haven't shown themselves and act only through the use of robots." She looked at the vessel behind him. "We never suspected it was them, though perhaps I should've. I've already seen them kill one world."

Suppressing his panic he moved back to look her over. Despite her happiness at seeing him, and the slight smile she'd had shown earlier, there was a look of defeat to her. "Knowing who the enemy is is half the battle. The earth won't suffer the fate of Tamaran." His eyes turned cold. "If they do then it will be the last world they ever touch."

"Is there anyone else aboard." Starfire asked, looking at the vessel once again.

"One other." Beast Boy admitted. "Just a girl they captured." He hurried to add, seeing the suddenly enraged look of the twenty aliens surrounding him and Starfire. "She's not a Gordanian." The fury immediately faded.

"There's never is a good time to mention the word Gordanian around a Tamaranian." Starfire said with a tired smile. "But now is the worst time of all."

"Why?" He listened as she explained her world was dying. When the fuel came into the discussion she said it would be no problem, but it would take time.

* * *

In the Citadel Beast Boy gratefully returned to his human form. "I really hate that." He muttered. "Changing into a form that's intelligent." He added, seeing Starfire's confused look. Looking out across the endless desert, at the nearly dead world, he felt like crying. _I knew this world was suffering, but for it too die... _He sighed.

"The girl? Would she like to visit?" The badly battered leader of the group he'd fought stepped forward.

"I don't think so." He wondered what to say that would make them leave her alone aboard the ship. "She's delicate, and your gravity is a bit higher than earth's." He explained. "And she's been traumatized by the Gordanians. I think she would prefer not to leave the ship."

"Oh." The woman stepped back, obviously sadden by the response.

The shape shifter looked around. It seemed everyone was. He looked to Starfire for explanation.

"This world is too hurt for us to bear children on it." She explained. "I was among the last generation born here."

"Oh." He gulped. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"What remains of our oceans is toxic to what passes for algae on our world." She explained. "We grew enough in vats to feed what little life remains, but machines aren't perfect, and there will be no algae to continue the thread of life."

"Earth algae won't do?" The shape shifter asked.

"No. It would die instantly in the water. At least our algae manages to live for a few days, and the other creatures eat it. Thus we hoped to maintain things until something adapted and the oceans truly lived once again."

"What happened?"

"Machine's break. The refrigeration units where samples were kept heated up due a malfunctioning processor. The algae in the oceans died. Thus there is no more algae."

"You have dead samples?" Beast Boy asked, frowning.

She nodded. "Tons if it. Why?"

A few minutes later he rested his fingertips against a drying clump of dead matter. Not a single one of the tiny plants retained their DNA unbroken. But his body, however it did it, sorted and analyzed the fragments. Slowly, with difficulty, it took form as a new shape. _I was right. _He mused happily. _With some alien species the distinction between plant and animal isn't quite as evident as on earth._ As a simple test, he became the new form for a brief instant.

"You ..." Starfire didn't dare pose the question as she stared at him.

"I can change into it." Beast Boy smiled at her. "Thankfully it's already green so you won't know the difference from the original."

The place that had been silent just moments before rang with noise as vats were filled and prepared to grow the life-giving algae. Nearly a thousand joyous Tamaranians worked frantically, knowing it was only time before the few forms of life in the oceans died without food. The shape shifter sat back and watched along with Starfire, thinking.

"Why don't you modify the algae so it can survive in your oceans?"

"We tried and failed." She explained. "It's not so simple to splice genes, and our population doesn't allow us to put much effort into it."

"The help of other worlds?"

"We aren't welcomed on other worlds." The orange-skinned alien simply stated.

"But there are people on earth who could've done it." He pointed out.

The girl pondered that. "True. We're so used to doing things without help that it's in our nature by now. That's something I will bring up with the grand ruler. We have plenty of minerals to pay with." Her eyes glowed green as she realized her world might have a chance.

"There's something I want to test. Do you have any vats that contain just ocean water." Beast Boy, looked away from the frenetic activity to glance at her.

"No. We do have some labs where we used to try to modify the algae. Why?"

"An experiment." He smiled at her. "Something to pay for the fuel with."

"You've already paid us." She pointed out, leading him to a lab where, at his request, she filled a vial with ocean water.

He became the new form of algae and rested in the water, feeling it tear at his delicate flesh. Focusing, he sought to change just a small fragment of himself. The form was simple, but what he wanted to do wasn't. It took an hour before the form he was in changed, incorporating the Killer Croc's resistance to toxins. The water stopped burning. He rested and studied the new shape. Changing so much made it totally different from the original. It could no longer grow as fast, actually less than half the original rate. But then in nature you rarely gained something without losing something in return. Frowning, he multiplied a few times, and resumed his human form.

"That might be able to live in the oceans." He told her, pointing at the vial. "But it's slow growing so ..." He shrugged.

"It's algae, and it can live in our oceans?" Carefully the orange-skinned Titans held the small vial up to her vibrantly green eyes, and then gently placed it on a rack. "The rate of growth doesn't matter." She explained. "Just so long as it can grow it will spread and fill everything. There will be a source of food for life to spread throughout the oceans again. It will find a balance. And then it will serve as the basis for the land to recover."

Turning, the excited alien pulled him close, and gave him a very deep and passionate kiss.

Beast Boy opened his eyes. "That was interesting." He smiled. "Though lets not tell Robin about it."

* * *

End of Chapter.

Next chapter, the return to earth.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	9. Chapter 9

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and reply to reviews:_

_Yeah. It's very easy to overuse Shade and/or Trigon as the main evil guy for a story. But then again, they're very interesting villains. At least Trigon is._

_Given she's a kid who was forced to try to kill by genocidal aliens, I think the only way she would need to redeem herself is by knowing what she did was wrong, and saying sorry; to learn from what happened. Or course she might still have a further role to play, but it will be a matter of her choosing to do good rather than evil. Not something necessary for redemption._

_It would be scary how much power an adult of Aeopie's race would have. A single person could strike undetected across thousands of miles. Destroying a world would be child's play for them._

_The Joker's DNA. Beast Boy might use it, yet not use it. Depends on the direction the story takes. Given the other things he's learned how to do I don't think people realize just what power that gives him. It's on par with an adult of Aeopie's race._

_I tend not to write stories that deal with historical or present events. I write the stories for fun, and involving the real world like that would be depressing. There might be hints of it at times, but a story wouldn't be based on it._

_I wouldn't write a story that demonized Raven too much. There might be some drama where she needs to learn to control her emotions, but I wouldn't make her someone who actually liked to hurt._

_Well, someone is a mind reader. That's exactly what happens. :)_

_Time: The next morning._

_**A Late Night,... A Brutal Battle,... Starfire,... Beast Boy Arrives Home,...**_

Beast Boy heard the slight whisper that was the stocking feet of a slight nine-year old walking by his door. Next came the sound of a yawn, followed by the rustling of cloth against a door. Outside something sank to the floor, and then very faintly started to snore.

The shape shifter sighed, and snuggled down beneath the covers, wondering if just for one day he should sleep in. _Little girl, cold floor._ His irritating sense of responsibility reminded him. _Warm covers, and a very late night. _His sleepy side noted with a great deal of truth. Standing, he went sprawling across the floor as he tripped over his own feet. _Knew that would happen eventually. _He muttered, standing back up.

The night before, knowing the fuel would be delayed as the Tamaranians struggled to grow enough algae before their oceans fully died, he'd stayed to watch, wanting to learn as much as he could about Starfire's people. He'd learned a few new things. For one, the reason females outnumbered males four to one was that during the destruction of their world they'd chosen that ratio. Only a woman could bear children, therefore priority had been given to them. That explained her willingness to share Raven with Robin. It'd become the norm for her culture, being simply a matter of either share, or do without.

When Burningfire, the dark-haired woman who'd led the assault against him, had approached him later that night he'd accepted her _invitation_. At the time he hadn't known that offer included the cute green-eyed blonde with her. It'd been a very pleasurable, and a very late night.

He'd returned to find Aeopie curled up against the airlock, sound asleep. He'd pushed aside the feeling of guilt. While she might be nine, she knew the ship better than he did. She also knew what was safe and what wasn't, having learned it directly from the minds of her people. It was okay to leave her by herself some of the time. He'd tucked her in, and then quickly fallen asleep himself.

Rapping his knuckles beside her ear, he woke her up for breakfast. _Just what am I going to do with her when I get back to earth? _He pondered as she clung to his hand, sleepily grinning up at him. The question nagged at him, and he only knew there had to a be a solution that kept her safe and happy. Anything else was unacceptable.

* * *

For the first time in ages the nagging sensation persisted in the back of her mind. Given it was likely she would soon die, the violet-haired girl really didn't see the point of answering it. But she'd learned her lesson. If she ever tended to forget it the blurriness of her vision reminded her. Sitting, she peered into a mirror.

The land of Nevermore appeared below her, looking nothing like it once had. The weathered forest that'd once been Happy's domain had degraded even further, starting to sink into a massive swamp. The stone labyrinth of Timid was touching the boggy land, tilting where the ground had given way beneath it. _It's not healing. _The suddenly frightened girl realized. _But then again, what does it matter? What are the odds any of us will live through the day? _Levitating, she headed towards Knowledge.

"Hello." Raven said, as she landed on the slopping surface of the labyrinth.

"You came this time." Knowledge spoke, as if surprised. Her yellow cloak was stained with the mud of the swamp, and the emoticlone herself didn't look well. She pushed a pair of broken spectacles up on her nose.

"I learned my lesson." The violet-eyed girl sat down.

Surprisingly the yellow-clad emoticlone smile a little. "I see." She looked out across the swamp. "It looks bad doesn't it."

"It does." Raven agreed, cringing as she stared out across the ruined land. Even with her blurry vision it was heart breaking.

"But it's not as bad as it seems." Knowledge shrugged. "Everyone has horrible things happen to them, and they heal. However, things have been hectic since then, and you haven't had a chance."

"You mean Happy will be back, and her forest will grow again? And Timid will leave her labyrinth?"

"That's what I mean. But you're starting to falter. Remember what I told you?"

"To keep marching forward."

The emoticlone nodded. "Exactly." She said. "But you've stopped. You believe you will die today. That's not marching forward."

"The chances aren't good." The girl pointed out.

"Maybe not. But my advice is to take a shower. You stink as bad as the swamp." The emoticlone held her nose.

"It's only been one day." Raven pointed out, mildly insulted.

"Whatever. Listen to it or not, that's my advice. Take a shower and eat a good meal, relax. You have enough time before the team gathers. Then fight your best."

"A shower." The violet-haired girl shook her head in disbelief. "And if I'd come last time what would your advice have been."

"A shower." Knowledge smiled, and for a brief instant a twinkle returned to her eyes.

"A shower?" Raven repeated, eyebrows raised.

"Think about what would've happened if you've taken a shower back them rather than going to the meeting." The emoticlone instructed.

"Hrm." She sat back to considered it, closing her eyes as they started to ache. "Things might've gone differently, but I'm not sure how that would've helped."

"BB and Robin would still have fought." Came the reply. "But you wouldn't have been there to continue the fight. He would've called for help, and then fled before Cyborg entered the room, meaning they wouldn't have fought. Starfire would've arrived to see the fight over with, and her boyfriend safe. Rather than nearly dying as he had to fight the whole team, Beast Boy would've left with minor injuries, and fences could've been mended. As it was things were catastrophically wrecked."

"A very different path." Raven mused.

"Very." Knowledge agreed.

"I think I could use a shower." The violet-haired girl replied.

* * *

"It's the end of the world, and you're late." Cyborg said, looking at her with a grim smile. "And you even cut your hair?" He noted.

"It's not the end of the world." The violet-eyed girl said, realizing the cybernetic teen was amused at her, not angry. "Things may get bad for a long time, but the world will still continue, and so will humanity. Despots don't last forever." She'd taken Knowledge's advice. A long shower with plenty of soap and a change of clothing. Then she'd tried to trim her hair. Given her eyes it was probably a mess, but the simple activity had calmed her. Breakfast had consisted of an egg sandwich with a cup of herbal tea. Her outlook on the day had changed. They might die, but then again, they might not.

"Have you located point zero?" Robin asked, glancing at Raven but directing the question to Cyborg.

"I have." The now deadly serious Titan said. "They were constructing a new office building on North Street. They'd only just dug the basement when the silver minions started messing things up. It's perfect. The design included five levels of parking with two for storage beneath the ground. It's deep, over ninety feet."

"Perfect." Raven agreed. "How did the evacuation go?"

"According to plan. I hacked into what's left of the media and instructed everyone to leave the area, saying it was to be the Titan's new base of operations. Most of them left. Whoever is behind the silver minions must've been listening in because five of the androids have taken up residence around the area. The others are scattered across the city."

"Five? I'd hoped all ten would converge on the area." Robin said with a slight frown.

"Sorry. We only got five." Cyborg sounded apologetic.

"Which is better than the zero we might've got." Raven said. "Excellent work Cyborg. If you hadn't been able to take over the media that area would still be covered in people, and none of those infernal machines would be there."

"True." Robin agreed. "Excellent work. That brings us to step two. Raven try to sense if anyone is still in the area. Cyborg, use your sonic analyzer to do the same. I'll go to step three and try to lure one of the other androids to the area. When you're finished do the same."

Raven and Cyborg nodded.

Raven levitated, and stared down at the city blocks that surrounded the planned construction site. Reaching out with her senses she tried to locate people. To her relief the area was empty. It seemed that weeks of looters and gang violence had made the people wary, and they'd followed orders to leave without hesitation.

Moving on the step three she soared across the city, levitating herself through the air.

Hovering fifty feet above the silver machine the violet-eyed girl dropped a truck on it. Immediately the sonic vibrations that'd caused so much damage started as it prepared to fight. She raced away from it just fast enough to let it follow her, always keeping a hundred feet ahead. Coming upon another of their ruthless foes she did the same. With the two of them following her, she turned and sped towards what they called point zero, the place where the fight would take place.

It seemed the cybernetic creatures had been upgraded again as their sonic waves were focused into deadly pulses directed at the violet-haired girl. One she dodged, the other she blocked with a black barrier that immediately shattered. It held just long enough to block most of the impact. The remnants of the attack that got through her shield caused her bones to vibrate painfully, and agony racked her body. Then it faded. The following two pulses she evaded. More of the attacks came at her, and she gulped, twisting to the side. It seemed it wouldn't be as easy to lure their enemies to their doom as they'd hoped. Before the silver minions had just soaked up punishment without responding, but now ...

_This is going to slow me down. _Raven thought as another pulse came at her. _Six miles to point zero. Around an hour and half if I keep to this pace. Had planned for an hour._ She frowned, twisting to the left. One of the pulses just missed her while another hit a black shield she'd only just managed to raise in time. It shattered and once again she was engulfed in pain as the sound waves affected every cell in her body. _Any closer and I would've died. _She gulped, pushing herself to keep moving. _And if I die then the plan won't work. _The violet-haired girl told herself. _Therefore I can't die._

She opened the range a little, and rather than raising barriers to block the pulses that came at her she levitated a truck. The increased range helped, while the truck seemed to be able to absorb the attacks better. Every bit of glass in it shattered, but it didn't just crumble like her barriers did. When the deadly foes got close, she dropped the truck on them and rapidly sped away. Then she slowed to grab another vehicle to use as a barrier as they closed on her once again.

Bone weary she reached point zero. She'd had to use hundreds of trucks as barriers, and she'd still been hit, thankfully not up close, by dozens of the pulses. Every part of her ached, and bruises were appearing all over her body where cells had died from the attacks, having burst from the sonic blasts. _Still, I'm here. _She silently moaned, needing to rest. _Just a little bit more._

In front of her three of the silver minion who'd been guarding the place they believed to be the Titan's new headquarters appeared and sent pulses at her. The violet-eyed girl quickly rose to a higher altitude, grateful she no longer needed to endure that. She opened her communicator, nearly dropping it with her painfully bruised fingers. "Here." She simply said.

"Are you okay?" Cyborg asked, sounding concerned.

"Drop them in the construction site." Robin ordered.

"I'm okay." Raven intoned. _I am. _She reassured herself. _In a short while I can enter a healing trance._ Pushing the pain to one side, she dropped lower to carry out step four of the plan. There were, she noted, nine of the enemy. One by one she picked them up, resisting the sense of slipperiness that encompassed each of the cybernetic minions, and dropped them in the pit where the office building was to be built. As she dropped the last one she flung herself away from the site.

A fireball erupted into the heavens, shaking the earth in its fury. Every building around the construction site was flattened as the inferno struck them. Ones beyond that took different amounts of damage, with many collapsing. As Cyborg had once noted, any single attack capable of wiping out the nearly indestructible foes would wipe out whole city blocks. The pit had contained it somewhat, but the damage was still beyond anything they would've considered acceptable before.

Raven collapsed to the ground, barely managing to stay conscious as Cyborg and Robin both rushed to her.

"Rae." Cyborg gasped, looking at her. Scanning her, he frowned. "You're really beat up." The expression on his face was grim. "Knew you shouldn't have tried to lure in two at the same time."

"Raven?" Robin asked, obviously concerned.

"Guess it doesn't look too good." The violet-eyed girl said, keeping her eyes closed. "But it's basically just my skin. It absorbed enough of the attacks to keep my insides okay. Just a flesh wound." She didn't try to move. "Still one left?"

Cyborg nodded. "Yeah. One left." He said, realizing she couldn't see him. "But we can take time to recuperate before handling it. There's only so much it can do in a few hours so use that healing trance of yours."

"We'll get you somewhere safe." Robin added. "And then track the last one, making sure everything in its path is evacuated. When you're ready we'll deal with it."

The girl nodded. "Okay because ..." Something warned her of danger, and she surrounded the three of them in a barrier that was immediately shattered.

Cyborg grabbed her and ran, evading the pulses of sound that reached out for them. Robin also rolled away, dodging the attacks that came his way.

"Where did they come from?" Robin yelled.

"The construction site." Cyborg yelled back. "Seems three of them survived."

"They're damaged." Robin yelled. "You're right, they got to be from the construction site."

"Pretty badly too." The cybernetic teen replied. "They're close to self-destructing."

Raven pulled herself out of her friend's grip and took to the air. Grabbing a truck she slammed it into one of the three foes. "Kill them." She tried to scream, though the sound that came out was low and barely audible.

Cyborg turned and started to blast the same android with his sonic cannon. It was moving slow, and couldn't evade the weapon. It struck back, but it was obvious wounded and the pulses it emitted were considerably weaker than they had been. Robin flung explosive discs two at a time. In less than a minute it started beeping and then melted away. The second one died after a single attack from Raven. The third took longer, ten minutes, but it still died with ease.

"Any more survive?" Robin asked, peering around, obviously on guard.

"Don't think so. Can't detect any." The cybernetic Titan replied, scanning the area with his sonic analyzer.

"Good." Raven intoned, and then collapsed.

* * *

The violet-eyed girl awoke three hours later, having used a healing trance for two, and then requiring another to regain some energy. _Robin and Starfire's place. _She realized, looking around. She was in a bed, minus cloak. Blushing she rose and searched around, grateful when she found the garment lying beside the bed on a chair. Whatever their history, she was no longer comfortable using their bed, and preferred to be fully dressed when her ex-boyfriend was around. Which he wasn't.

Checking her communicator she saw a message. 'Call when you wake up. Cy.'

There was an immediate reply as both Cyborg and Robin answered her call. "What's the situation?" Raven asked, only to be met with a long silence.

"Not good." Robin finally replied. "Nine more have appeared to make up for the ones we destroyed."

"So we got ten to deal with again." She stated with a sigh, closing her eyes.

"Yeah." Cyborg added. "But they're tearing the city apart. And they sent a message. Follow orders to reduce population by nightfall, or they will consider the city lost and will destroy it."

"Oh." She gulped.

"They're targeting the schools and other places with children." Robin told her. "Most weren't occupied due to the trouble they've already caused, but some are. We're organizing an evacuation, but it's not going well. Too many lines of communication have been cut so we can't even use the phones."

"We're tracking the silver minions." Cyborg told her. "And then running for the schools they're headed for. We've enlisted people to get the message to the others."

"What can I do?"

"There's a school on Wilson Street." Robin replied. "Make sure it's empty, then report."

"Okay." Raven closed the communicator and left Robin's and Starfire's apartment. _Just Robin's now. _She reminded herself. Focusing, she took to the air.

The school was large, having facilities for two thousand students. It was also occupied. Due to the gangs roaming the area children left alone weren't safe. The school had hired security and parents could rest knowing their children were safe for at least a few hours a day. Nearly a thousand parents were helping the hired professionals patrol the place. No gang would've dared attack the campus; unfortunately what was coming wasn't a gang.

_Three thousand people to evacuate. _Raven sighed, cringing at the thought. _And there's a silver minion just minutes away. _She did the only thing she could. According to the school administration at least an hour would be required to make sure the campus was empty, so she went out to slow the mindless killer down. At first she'd thought it would be easy; toss a few cars at it and lure it away. Unfortunately while it sent pulse after pulse of sonic destruction her way it didn't alter its course. To make matters worse it turned into the main road for the school, blocking their path. _Three minutes and it'll be at the school. What do I do? _The violet-eyed girl struggled to find an answer.

_Allowing children to die would be inexcusable for a Titan. _She decided, and dropped down on the road in front of it. Standing there, she grabbed everything she could and flung it at her foe, knocking it backwards a little with each impact. Relentlessly it always regained its feet, and continued its march. The attacks it sent her way undid the repairs her two hours of meditation had done, causing her skin to bruise, and in place start to bleed. Blood filled her mouth as her teeth vibrated and started to come loose.

Still she held her ground, striking back. Then the silver minion managed a direct strike on her, sending her flying. Bones broken, bleeding from numerous locations, she struggled to her feet, knowing she wouldn't have time to recover before she died. The machine aimed and sent a blast of sound at her. To her surprise, a barrier of light rose to surround her, deflecting the attack.

"It is I, Doctor Light. And I am here to Light up the night." Exclaimed an oldish looking man in a futuristic looking suit, who stood just a few yards from her.

Raven blinked, taking the brief opportunity to recover her equilibrium. "Since when do you fight on the side of good?" She intoned.

"Good or evil, how can I, Doctor Light, light up the night if those foul creatures destroy the world?" The man asked, tossing bolts of bright energy at the machine. They seemed to have more slightly more affect that Raven's own dark magic.

"Good point." She admitted to the villain, unable to fault his impeccable logic.

"You're hurt, girl of darkness." There was worry in his voice.

It surprised Raven, but then she remembered this villain had never tried to kill anyone. He captured them in bubbles of light; even her, the half demon that reeked of darkness. Touched by his concern she just shrugged. "There's a school not too far away that's more important than me. If you wish to light up people's hopes, and not just the night, then help them."

"You will..." The man who feared the dark above all else couldn't finish the statement.

"I'll be okay." She lied, feeling her body on the verge of breaking down with its last reserves gone.

"A child of darkness, yet one whose inner light brightens the whole world." The old man solemnly said. "I, Doctor Light, am honored to have met you." Using the power of his suit he levitated and flew in the direction of the school.

_Interesting. _Raven mused_. _Imagine him being the last person I see alive, and him being on the side of good for once. She focused on the silver minion and slowly drained the last of her energy smashing car after car into it.

"Glorious day friend Raven."

A jubilant voice from above spoke to her. She didn''t need to look up to know who it was. _She no longer sounds defeated. _Raven mused, as she struggled to stay on her feet. "Glorious maybe, but not happy." The battered and bruised girl replied, feeling dizziness almost claim her as she slammed a truck into her foe. "What brings you back? I thought Tamaran needed you."

"At the last minute there was a miracle. Tamaran is given new hope. So I am back to fight alongside my friends."

"Go back and help your people Starfire. Soon Jump City will soon be no more." Tears flowed down the violet-haired girl's face at the though. _And that means he won't return. That I won't get to say sorry. _Trembling she felt herself start to sink to the ground.

"Look up friend Raven." Her friend commanded.

Raven looked up to see Starfire wasn't alone. Around her there were twenty more Tamaranians. Then as she just stared, a hurricane of starbolts rained down, slamming the silver minion to the ground. When it tried to rise, more stuck it, refusing the hate foe a chance to regain its feet. The onslaught didn't diminish, but rather increased in fury, and the violet-eyed girl looked up to see more of the orange-skinned aliens descending from the sky, all raining forth starbolt after starbolt as fast as they could. Around her the ground shook, and a cloud of dust rose in the air.

"You're injured, friend Raven." Starfire was suddenly beside her, now looking more serious. Her orange complexion paled as she studied her wounded friend. "How bad?" She asked, no longer sounding so jubilant.

Raven gave her a small smile. "Bad enough that if you'd arrived a minute later the fight would've been over. She didn't bother to tell her friend how the battle would've ended, that was obvious.

Starfire took the injured girl in her arms and flew above the expanding cloud of dust. As they rose Raven looked around. As bad as her vision was, she was sure there weren't just dozens of the aliens present, there were hundreds.

"How many?" She asked.

"Four hundred." Starfire replied. "As to the why. We're a race long used to being looked down upon by others. Someone reminded us there was one world where once a frightened girl was welcomed and sheltered. We pay our debts. There will be more, for we have much to repay. Our world would now be dead if not for him."

"Oh. Raven struggled to stay conscious.

"Raven." Her communicate spoke, sounding like Cyborg. There was worry in his voice.

"Friend Raven has been hurt. I am taking her to my place to heal." Starfire spoke into the device.

"Starfire." Robin's excitement was obvious.

"How bad?" Cyborg asked.

"I believe she shall recover given enough time." The orange-skin alien replied. "Glorious day, friend Robin." She added.

"My place." Raven murmured, unable to speak loudly.

"By friend Robin's and my place is much brighter and cheerful." Starfire replied. "It will be a better place to heal."

"My place." The violet-eyed girl insisted before entering a healing trance.

* * *

Healing just enough of her wounds so that her life was no longer in danger, the violet-eyed girl awoke to find herself in her own apartment that was very crowded with Cyborg and Robin present, along with Starfire and another Tamaranian.

"How are you feeling friend Raven?" Starfire immediately asked.

"A bit better, but in no condition to fight" She admitted.

"No need. The silver minions have stopped their assault." The vibrant redhead informed her. "We destroyed more than fifty before they ceased."

"Fifty?"

"They kept sending more, ten at a time, so we destroyed them. With forty Tamaranians to focus on each they fell pretty easy." Starfire smiled. "It helped that we had the schematics for them. It was something given to us before we left for earth."

"How?"

"Friend Beast Boy." The alien literally floated from her seat and bounced around the room. "He showed up yesterday in a stolen Gordanian warship asking for fuel. We gladly gave him some and he gladly saved our world. We owe much to him, and to earth."

"Beast Boy?" Raven was now sitting up, ignoring her still painful wounds.

"He saw a ship land in Spark City, and decided to make it his."

"Wait. How many Gordanians did this ship have?" Robin asked.

"It was a cruiser, so two hundred." Starfire replied.

"How?"

Starfire shrugged. "Does it matter? Friend Beast Boy is okay, you're all okay. Tamaran is no longer dying, and the silver minion are no longer in Jump City." She floating off her chair again and bumped into the ceiling before returning to her seat. "Friend Raven. You need higher ceilings." The girl added.

"How could he manage to defeat two hundred Gordanians?" Robin asked, obviously sensing something wrong.

The redheaded girl smiled. "I don't know, but he did defeat twenty of Tamaran's best soldiers." She turned to look at Burningfire who'd been appointed by the grand ruler to follow her to earth as her bodyguard.

"I would be more insulted if I'd been alone. As it was I have to share the shame with nineteen others." The dark-haired woman shrugged.

"He has changed much." Starfire said.

"Was he okay?" Raven asked.

"He was." Starfire peered at Burningfire. "And I am sure during his stay he was made very welcome."

"We did our best." The woman blushed. "Who knew humans had such endurance." She smiled. "Both Violetfire and I were more than satisfied." The smile turned in a grin as she recalled the previous night.

"Oh." Raven blushed as well when she realized what the woman meant.

"You should meditate more, friend Raven. You will want to look your best when he gets here."

_As if it will matter. _The girl mused, jealous but happy. _However I do need to heal. So long as things are good then I should take the chance. He will return, and the city is still here for when he does._

* * *

Beast Boy had Aeopie give him a crash course on how to operate the ship. Much as he was mechanically inept, not knowing how to even read the fuel gage had led to trouble. It'd been embarrassing to show up on Starfire's doorstep like that, needing to beg for something so obvious. That things had worked themselves out was due only to luck. While he had no hope of matching the skill of the telepath, who had taken the knowledge directly from the minds of the crew, he figured he could learn a few things. It was nice that the vessel was made to be idiot proof, and that everything could be controlled by simple commands. He figured they had a fifty/fifty chance of surviving if he need to personally operate the vessel.

With the fuel delivered they had set course for earth. While the distance wasn't far it would still take time, so he practiced what Aeopie had taught him and chatted with her. Mostly she talked of her home world. obviously feeling lonely and missing it.

Approaching earth the shape shifter frowned. Aeopie had taught him how to read the scanners, and it claimed there were a number of Gordanians ships cloaked around his home world. "Explain it." He asked, pointing to the readout.

The girl peered at it. "There're sixteen ships. Ten are destroyer class, carrying around a hundred people each. The other six are more or less scouts that carry twenty people. There's usually four cargo ships but they would be travelling back and forth bringing the robots and supplies. There were twenty-one but you took the biggest ship." She grinned up at him. "The one I was on. This one." She took his hand, clearly recalling how he'd saved her.

"There's a destroyer moving towards Jump City." He noted, frowning as he gave her hand a small, comforting, squeeze.

Aeopie looked at the screen, and then turned away from it. Her eyes blazed a dark orange. "They're going to destroy the city. The crew are exited they get to kill Tamaranians." The dark orange disappeared from her eyes, and she turned pale.

Beast Boy frowned. "Go to your cabin." He ordered.

"Why?" The girl looked up at him confused.

"For me. Okay?" He smiled as if everything was okay.

She nodded. "Okay." And left, still looking confused.

_She has enough guilt to deal with. _The shape shifter thought, staring at the display. "Ship. Arm primary weapon."

"Arming." Came the mechanical reply.

Incoming transmissions came form the ships around earth, but he had no idea how to answer them, and he wasn't bringing Aeopie back. _There's no way I'm making her party to an act of mass killing. _Beast Boy silently mused, staring at the screen. The other ships seemed confused by his presence, which was good. At least it was better than open hostility. _Guess the word they lost a ship hasn't gotten around._

"Primary weapon charged." The ship mechanically intoned.

Beast Boy leaned over a console and tap the ship over Jump City twice. "Fire on target." He commanded, flinching at the death he was about to deal out.

"Weapon fired." The ship replied.

On the screen the particle beam of the cruiser ripped into the destroyer. For ten seconds a bright beam of light connected the two ships, then it faded.

"Ship. Arm primary weapon." The shape shifter ordered, hoping it wouldn't be needed.

"Arming." Came the reply.

The ship he'd fired on was marked with a dark green, indicating it was damaged. It's course changed, and it slid into the bay. _Second time for that. _Beast Boy noted. _That bay isn't a lucky spot for Gordanians._

"Ship. Estimate casualties."

"Estimate. Zero. Weapons discharge struck primary generator. Ship was abandoned before impact with water environment."

The shape shifter trembled, and sat back in the chair. He hadn't killed after all. "Ship. Send Message. All vessels avoid this area or be destroyed."

"Message sent." The vessel replied.

He watched as no ships came near, obviously taking the warning seriously. He called Aeopie back. The girl was frowning, but no longer seemed puzzled about why he'd sent her away.

_She's smart. _Beast Boy commented to himself. "I'm going to let some Tamaranians run the ship. You're coming to earth with me." Immediately her whole attitude changed.

"Really? I can go there and they won't try to kill me?" Eagerness lit up her eyes.

"Right. Just don't spy on people's minds okay. Most people here can't do that, and it would be considered rude. Only use your telepathy if someone threatens you." He handed her a cloak. "Wear this so it hides your race. It's probably not needed, but better safe than sorry."

The girl donned the cloak. A short time later several orange-skinned aliens knocked on an airlock and he let them in. Then he and the girl rode a cargo craft to Jump City.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	10. Chapter 10

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Beast Boy's intent was to defend the people he cared about. But yes, his actions carried the possibility of killing, and only luck stopped it. Thankfully it's not something he will have on his conscience._

_What did the Titans use in the parking lot? Good question. In a place the size of Jump City I'm sure there's a lot of construction work going on. Dynamite would've been available. Or they might've used a gas explosion. Or it could've been something Cyborg rigged up from the looted technology he used to make Titan's Tower. Whatever it was, it wasn't quite enough. And even if contained I doubt too many of those would be good for a city._

_The fleet is still around, as you will see in this chapter and the next._

_Finding out about Beast Boy's little tryst on Tamaran, as well as knowing about Jenny, tells Raven the shape shifter has changed. Other women find him attractive, so she'd better not wait too long._

_Time: Next morning._

* * *

_**Starfire,... Raven Wakes Up,... Loudmouth Aeopie,... Gangs and Looters,... A Shower,...**_

Beast Boy frowned as he watched Raven mediate, healing her wounds. Her flesh was bruised everywhere he could see, bones had been broken, and blood at times coated her lips. _She looks like hell. _He gulped, knowing it would've looked worse if she hadn't already been healing for a few hours. How bad it'd been originally he didn't want to know. He ached to touch her, to know she was still alive, but suppressed the urge.

He looked around the place. _Why isn't she staying with Robin and Starfire? _He wondered. But even back in the tower she'd always returned to her own room each night. There was the single bedroom, where he now sat watching her, along with a small kitchen and bathroom. A large chair contained Aeopie, cushioned with blankets to soften the stress of the earth's gravity on her frail form. Slight snores came from her direction.

Starfire was the only other person in the place, having decided to keep watch over her friend too. She cast the occasional curious glance at the small girl, but remained quiet. If he had to guess it looked like she had other things on her mind.

"The algae turn out okay?" The shape shifter asked, feeling uncomfortable with the silence.

"It did." The orange-skinned alien smiled, reassuring him. "Some of the life in the oceans was in a bad state, but it will survive. As soon as we've done tests with the new strain we will release it."

"That's good." He turned his gaze back to Raven, wondering if Starfire considered it strange, or inappropriate for him to be here.

"She broke off the relationship the day we fought." She didn't specify which relationship or which fight. It was obvious.

"Oh." Though intensely curious, he refused to probe into what was the violet-eyed girl's personal matters.

"I would've thought you would be angry." She attempted some probing of her own.

"When I cooled down I knew you didn't try to kill me." Beast Boy shrugged. "But I was still removed from the team, and felt no desire to return."

"We're sorry for that." Starfire said, her tone anything but jubilant. "We're still at a loss as to how things got so out of control. That we were manipulated is obvious, but the way we reacted was uncalled for."

"I know." The shape shifter shrugged. "But it wasn't just the images, which I still haven't seen. There were other components to the attack. Ones which would've affected the team's emotions and judgements. It would've enhanced the anger you felt over the images."

"How would the Gordanians have accomplished that?" The orange-skinned Titan wondered.

Beast Boy wondered what to tell her without giving way Aeopie. "Just more psychological warfare." He replied. "Anyway, I have no anger towards any of you."

"Good." The girl sighed in relief. "And Raven will be glad to hear that as well. I hope she will heal her eyes."

"Her eyes?"

Starfire nodded. "What happened upset her, and she decided to atone by not fully healing her own wounds. Her vision was left blurry enough that she could no longer read."

"Oh." Shaken, the boy gulped. "I'm sure she will heal them now." _I hope she does. _He thought, as he stared at the unmoving form of the violet-haired girl.

"She will when she sees you're okay." Starfire smiled. "Will you become a Titan again?" She dared to ask. "I'm sure everyone wants you back, but are just too embarrassed to make the offer. I make it now for all of us. It would cause Raven no small amount of joy to wake up and find you one of us again."

"I'll think about it." The shape shifter replied, doubting that he would.

"Please consider carefully friend Beast Boy." The girl insisted.

He nodded. "How're the efforts towards cleaning up the rest of the silver minion going?"

"I had my people divide into forty groups of ten." Starfire replied. "The schematics are proving useful. We know if ten of us focus on one place, then they can't cope with their shielding technology, and they die in less than five minutes. Each team has destroyed over twenty each." She smiled. "They're loving the chance to hurt the Gordanians."

"And if the Gordanians decide to pay Tamaran another visit?"

"They won't. We're no longer as peaceful as we were back then, and our grand ruler is willing to meet violence with violence. The Gordanians don't like enemies that fight back, hence their current method of trying to enslave your world."

The shape shifter turned his gaze once again towards Raven, trying to detect some minor change that would show she was healing. There wasn't any.

She will be okay." Stafire reassured him. "She's healing her internal wounds first. When she focuses on the less serious ones they will quickly vanish."

Beast Boy nodded, knowing she was speaking the truth.

"Do not let her think you're angry with her friend Beast Boy." Starfire's tone was serious. "Her guilt is crippling her."

"I won't. I know neither of you were fully responsible for your actions." He studied her place. "I only wish..." He went quiet.

"What do you wish?"

"Nothing." Beast Boy replied, suppressing the sadness he felt. _Raven will never look at me the way she looked at Robin, and staying will only cause jealousy. If I stay, I will hate him, and that will lead to trouble. Best to leave as soon as everything settles down. _He looked at her bruised and bloodied form and gulped.

"Checkers?" A voice asked.

They both turned to see Aeopie standing in the doorway with her cloak still tightly clutched around her. In her hand she held the small checker game Beast Boy had grabbed from a store for her. Made for travelling its pieces had tiny magnets that would firmly hold them on the board.

"Sure." Beast Boy slid out of his chair so she could have it. "You okay?" He asked, sensing the tiredness in her voice.

"I'm fine." Aeopie replied, setting up the game. "No orange pieces." She noted, with a frown in her voice, choosing red.

"We can get one made with orange pieces." The shape shifter told her. "Might be a while though. Jump City is still in pretty bad shape."

"Okay." She slumped down in the chair as she let the heavy gravity pull her frail form down.

Beast Boy made the first move, as usual, wondering how long it would take the girl to wipe him out. It was worse than playing on the ship; here Starfire was watching and he was about to be humiliated in front of her. Five minutes later they were setting the board up again, with her having chalked up another win.

"I'll win a game one day." He told her.

"Sure." Her voice held a grin

Aeopie was about to win a third game when she froze, staring off into the distance. Her hand reached out to pull him close. "Cloaked ship underwater approaching our ship." She whispered in his ear.

"Oh." Beast Boy sat back, gulping. He glanced at Starfire nervously; it would be obvious to her where the information had come from, and it would make her curious. Still there wasn't any way to avoid it. The Gordanian plan was simple, get close and fire with the element of surprise.

"Starfire, have your people scan the bay with the ship's sensors. There should be a Gordanian ship there."

She obeyed, using the Titan communicator to switch to a frequency the ship would be monitoring. He listened as the scan detected the alien vessel, and then opened fired on it just before it launched its own surprise assault.

"How did you know ..." The orange-skinned Titan paused. "How did she know that ship was there?" She asked, peering at the cloaked figure.

Beast Boy shrugged. He had no answer for that, and simply made his next move. The telepathic girl won two more games and then choose to return to her chair to nap a little more.

"Who is she?" Starfire asked, sounding more than just curious.

The shape shifter shrugged. "Someone the Gordanians captured. I suggest you don't play checkers with her in front of your people. She'll just humiliate you." Checking on Raven again, he turned back to her. "What will the Gordanians do? They know they've been discovered and they've lost three of their ships, so why are they sticking around?"

"A chance to gain several billion slaves. To them it might seem like a worthwhile gamble." The orange-skinned alien was now frowning seriously.

"Fourteen ships left. They could bombard our world from orbit like they did Tamaran. That was the image that truly gave him nightmares.

"Those ships aren't capable of that; they just carry particle beams." Starfire frowned, staring up into space. "They used antimatter weapons to devastate my home world. Thousands of tons of it, and then they covered the world with toxins to finish killing what little survived."

"Oh." The shape shifter shuddered.

"They won't do that to earth." The orange-skinned girl attempted to reassure him. As powerful as the Gordanians are, there're other races almost as powerful. Someone who routinely destroys whole worlds would make them nervous, and they would unite to end the threat. Tamaran was an exception as we're not seen as true people. No one would care if we vanished from the universe."

"I would care." Beast Boy pointed out. "So would your friends."

"True." She smiled at him. "We've considered destroying the ships, or capturing them, but their particle beams can kill us, and they might destroy a number of cities in response before they perished."

The green-skinned shape shifter sighed. "While that wouldn't do the damage that was done to Tamaran, losing a few dozen major cities would be bad."

"Very bad." Starfire agreed.

They both turned to see Raven appeared a lot better than she'd just a short while ago.

"I'm going to check on how my people are progressing with the silver minion. Besides, I think you're the one she'll really want to see when she wakes up."

"Why me?" Beast Boy started to ask, but the girl was gone. Nervously he waited for the violet-haired Titan to wake up.

* * *

_A shower. _Raven mused, on the verge of waking up but needing to rest for a while to restore some energy. _If I hadn't taken a shower what would've happened? _She let the thoughts play out in her mind.

_I wouldn't have been late meeting up with Cyborg and Robin. _She decided. _So that particular fight would've ended a fair bit earlier. Then I would've healed myself and gone to that school. The same process, but several minutes before I actually did. I would've fought the silver minion, but by the time Starfire showed up I would've been dead._ She smiled. _That'll teach me to think Knowledge's advice is silly._

Healed, and a bit refreshed, she opened her eyes and looked around.

"How're you feeling?" A voice she knew very well greeted her.

"Beast Boy?" She asked, heart racing, as she peered in his direction.

The shape shifter knelt beside her bed and waved his hand in front of her eyes. "You're not finished healing yet." He noted with a frown. "Things are okay here. Now fix those eyes of yours."

"I ..." She didn't know what to say. He didn't sound angry, and she'd claimed she would heal them when she found him; when she knew he was safe and sound. "I would rather not." The violet-haired girl replied, afraid the next time she opened her eyes he might be gone.

"Heal them. That damage is from what I did. And I don't want you going around half blind because of me."

Raven gulped. Now he did sound angry. "Okay." She let herself drift off into a healing trance once more. It was minor and should heal fast. He wouldn't just disappear. _Would he?_ She focused on healing her eyes as fast as she could. When she opened them again he was nowhere to be seen, though there was a small figure curled up in a chair that was overflowing with large thick blankets. Though she couldn't see the child's eyes, she could sense they were looking at her with a great deal of interest.

"He's just cooking something for you to eat." The voice of young girl came from the mass of blankets.

"Oh." She sighed in relief before looking around, noting how the room looked now that she could see clearly. Dizziness claimed her as she attempted to stand.

"He's not going anywhere." The girl told her.

"Who're you?"

"Aeopie. He rescued me from a Gordanian ship."

"Oh." Raven said again, looking towards the bedroom door. There was a smell of pancakes in the air, and her stomach rumbled loudly. "How did you get on a Gordanian ship?" She asked the girl.

"Obviously not willingly." Came the reply that carried a tiny hint of humor.

"Obviously." Raven agreed, feeling her lips wanting to curl up in a smile.

"You've lost weight, and you still look like hell." Beast Boy mused from the doorway. A second later he sat a tray loaded with juice and pancakes down in front of her. "Eat."

She took a knife and fork and started eating, immediately starting to feel better as her hunger pains vanished. _You look like hell. _The words vibrated through her mind, making her winch inside. _And what do I say to someone I almost squashed against a wall, someone who I almost killed. _Tears threatened to flow from her eyes. She looked up as Aeopie stirred, and with some difficulty pushed the blankets away.

"I'm sorry." The girl said, standing at the foot of the bed.

"Huh?" Raven asked confused.

The girl pushed the hood of her cloak to one side to show her dark orange eyes and the slight orange tint to her skin. "I'm sorry." She repeated, taking a deep breath.

"Are you a Tamaranian?" Raven asked, still puzzled as to why the girl was apologizing. _And why would someone of her race be so weak? _She wondered.

"No. I'm from ..."

"Aeopie. Are you sure?" Beast Boy asked with a worried expression.

"I am." She replied before turning back to Raven. "I'm from a world where everyone is a telepath." She explained, looking Raven in the eye. "What happened during that fight was my fault. The Gordanians told me to do it, but I'm the one who caused the emotional outburst where you attempted to kill Beast Boy and where you nearly killed Robin." The girl closed her eyes, waiting for the half demon to measure out whatever justice she deemed fit.

"I see." Raven replied, still puzzled, but aware the girl was claiming she was the reason for the disaster that'd broken up the team. Her emotions stormed inside of her, and she nearly lashed out. Trembling, she contained her wrath, unwilling to strike someone so young. _Too young to be responsible for what happened. _She decided, still wanting to let her power flow freely to crush the person before her. Yet she managed to resist.

"She's just a kid." Beast Boy stated, staring at the half demon. "One who was taken from her own world by aliens who can only be described as psychotic."

Focusing, the violet-eyed girl analyzed the anger and placed it in its proper place; something to be aimed at those who'd forced the frightened girl to act in such a manner. "I see." She intoned, taking another bite of pancakes. "So you're not angry at me?" She asked, hearing the pleading tone of her voice.

"No. It wasn't your fault. Nor was it Robin's or Cyborg's or Starfire's. I'm not angry." He emphasised the words with a smile. "So you went half blind for months, and nearly starved yourself to death, over nothing."

"If anything I learned a few lessons." Raven intoned, not knowing how to express what she was feeling, or what she wanted. "Books are just things, people are what's important.

"She wants you to look at her the way Robin looks at Starfire." Aeopie said. "And she wants to do the things she did with Robin with you."

Silence reigned in the room. Raven was frozen with a forkful of pancakes halfway to her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, and her face was a blood red. Beast Boy heard the words, but they were just bouncing around in his head as he struggled to understand just what the girl had said. Eventually his face too turned red, and his jaw dropped in shock.

"I thought I told you not to poke around in people's heads." He finally said, for lack of knowing what else to say.

"I didn't. She's projecting her thoughts." Aeopie shrugged.

Raven gulped. "You know, it's very disturbing to have someone around who can read my mind.." She turned towards Beast Boy. "Some herbal tea would be nice now." She intoned. "Maybe Aeopie would like some too."

"Sorry." The telepath said. "It's just that you were thinking about him so hard."

The violet-haired girl blushed even redder. "How come I can't detect you in my mind?" She asked.

"You would if I were. But I just read what you were projecting, so there was no need to look inside. Before, when I affected your emotions, you were too angry or stressed with what was going on around you to pay attention. And even then I didn't enter it directly, just enhanced the emotions you were feeling."

"I see." She intoned.

Reluctantly Beast Boy left to get the herbal tea. He didn't think Raven was going to do anything drastic. Or so he hoped.

"I know I'm going to regret this." Raven intoned once the shape shifter left the room. "But what does Beast Boy think of me?"

"You're an empath. Wouldn't you already know?" Aeopie was puzzled.

"I know he liked me before all of this happened." The violet-haired girl intoned. "But a lot has changed since then. And he hasn't touched me since he returned. I don't know."

"I can't read his mind." The girl shrugged. "It's like there're thousands of him. One for each shape he can change into."

"Oh."

"But when he met Starfire you were the one he first asked about. And when we got here you're the only one he came to see."

"Oh." _That's good, I think_. Raven hoped. _But still, I know he had sex with at least three other people. All of them attractive. Why would he even look at me anymore._

"Why wouldn't he?" Aeopie asked. "Sorry." She immediately added, blushing. "But you're still projecting your thoughts and I can't help but hear them."

Raven blushed further. "That's going to take some getting used to."

"Sorry." The girl got back in the chair and drew the blankets around her. "I know you're important to him, so I had to tell you what happened. If you tell anyone about me they might kill me." She drew her hood back up.

"Why?"

"We don't need weapons to destroy a world. An adult of my kind could do it easily. I can't yet, but in time I will be able to too."

"Oh. Guess that makes you pretty dangerous." Raven admitted.

"It does."

Beast Boy brought in the herbal tea, relieved to see Aeopie safe and sound, curled up in her chair.

"Good." The girl said, sipping the herbal tea.

"It is." Raven agreed. "Touch my mind." She ordered. A few seconds later she nodded. "I see. I can recognized it now, and know when you're trying something." The empath sounded relieved.

The shape shifter relaxed. It seemed Raven wasn't going to blame Aeopie for what had happened. Actually, if he had to guess, they seemed to be getting along pretty well. Raven's face was still blood-red, but then so was his. _Does what Aeopie said mean what I think it does? _He pondered, heart racing. He peered at the violet-haired girl out of the corner of his eye. Despite having starved herself half to death over the last few months, she still made his heart race even faster. _She's no longer with Robin. Will she go back to him now that this mess is cleared up? _He frowned, not liking the idea. Fun as Jenny had been, they'd both known it was just casual and not meant to last. Burningfire and Violetfire had been interesting, but also casual. They'd been interested in what sex with him would be like, and he'd been curious about what sex with a Tamaranian would be like. Raven though? That was too serious to mess up, assuming he even had a chance.

_I wonder what he's thinking. _Raven pondered. _He looks so serious_._ He said I looked like hell. That didn't sound good, but what Aeopie said ..._

The young girl held her head. "Why not just ask him?" She demanded. "You're so serious it's making my head hurt." She turned to Beast Boy. "Do you like Raven, as in like like?" She asked.

"No..." The embarrassed half demon cried out too late. She buried her head in her hands.

Taken by surprise Beast Boy took several seconds to answer. And when he did he decided to answer fully and honestly. "I like that she's smart. She's always interesting to talk to. Before she started dating Robin I loved making stupid comments just to get a rise out of her. Her comebacks were always witty. She has a great sense of humor. Destined to destroy the world, she became a hero. How ironic is that? She kept moving forward even with that hanging over her. That's incredible." He paused and blushed. "Then there's the fact she's so beautiful." He shrugged. "It's the thought of her that keeps me moving when I want to just give up. I know she wouldn't."

"When you hug her she feels comforted." Aeopie spoke for the violet-haired girl. "Somewhere along the way she lost sight of that. She thinks you're cute, and appreciates that you didn't always leave her alone in her room. That you cared enough to make her realize she was a part of the team, and that you considered her worth while."

Beast Boy and Raven were left staring at each other, hearts racing.

Then the communicator Raven wore started blinking, indicating someone was trying to contact her. Reluctantly she looked at it.

"Cy?" She said, noticing the name of the caller.

"Rae? Are you okay?" The cybernetic teen sounded worried.

"I'm all healed up." She replied, still looking at Beast Boy.

"If you're able to help out we could use you. But if not we understand. Don't try to over exert yourself." A tiny hint of panic came through in his voice despite his obvious attempts to hide it.

"What is it?" Raven asked.

"The Tamaranians have got rid of the silver minion, but the gangs and looters are still stirring up trouble. Robin and I could use some help."

She took a deep sigh. "Where do you want us ... I mean where do you want me?"

"Just fly over the city and round-up any gang or looters you find, and then report them to the police. The department has reassembled and can handle the minor criminals, though it might be a while before they get a trial. Are you sure you're up to it?"

"Yeah. So long as I don't have to fight anything big."

"Okay. Just fly, and scan as much of the city as you can. Take as many breaks as you need."

"Okay. I'm heading out." Raven signed off.

"He still sounds like an older brother." Beast Boy mused.

"Yeah." Raven replied with a hint of a smile.

Beast Boy turned towards Aeopie frowning. It was one thing to leave her alone on a ship she knew for a few hours, but in a city that was in chaos? He didn't think so. Yet despite being no longer a Titan he felt the urge to stamp out a few trouble makers.

"I'll be okay alone." The girl read his expression.

"She can stay here." Raven said. "The doors are pretty sturdy, and if she runs into trouble she can tell me. At least I think she can."

"I can." Aeopie smiled. "Assuming I'm allowed to." She looked up at Beast Boy.

"You can talk to her, but not probe her mind." The shape shifter sternly replied. "And you will call her for help instead of trying to handle it yourself. Right?" His expression demanded an answer.

"I will. And I will be able to sense if anyone is near or if they mean harm." She wore an indignant look on her face.

"Okay. I guess I can leave you alone for a few hours." He ruffled her hair. "Be good."

"I will."

Raven, to his surprise, handed him his old Titan Communicator. "Just so you can keep in touch. If Aeopie calls me, I will need a way to contact you. And it'll help if you can follow what's going on." She explained seeing his look.

He took it and dropped it in a pocket. "Okay." They both left.

She levitated and scanned the ground below, glad of her newly healed vision. He took the form of a hawk and used its powerful eyesight to also scan the ground. Almost immediately he spotted two different groups of people causing trouble. Using the communicator he directed Raven to one of the sites while he took the other.

The violet-eyed girl hovered above the ground watching as five thugs looted a store. Her dark magic reached out with ease and bound them with its mystical energy. The girl blinked as she felt the power flowing through her; not the same as she remembered, yet different from how it'd been for the last few months. _Some part of Happy and Timid are back. _She realized, smiling.

The shape shifter landed to see several people busy blocking the street with cars. Why? He had no clue. Maybe they'd seen too many post apocalyptic movies and thought they were marking out their own fiefdom. He turned into a Tamaranian and tossed the cars to one side, clearing the street. Once it would've been a great ape, but the new form was better. _I wonder if I can use a great ape's size, yet still be a Tamaranian. _He wondered. _If I can mix parts like Killer Croc's hands and skin with the beast then ... _He decided it was something to look into in the future. Several low intensity starbolts left the group unconscious, and he took to the air where he returned to the form a falcon.

With his extremely acute vision he immediately spotted two more groups causing mischief. Once again he pointed Raven to one, and then took the other himself. It seemed to be a non-ending task. Jump City had a population of two million. With even one percent of the population running amok that was twenty thousand thugs and vandals to round-up; which meant five thousand criminals for each of the four heroes. If left alone, the gangs would tear the city apart just as easily as the silver minions would've. The newly reassembled police department was overwhelmed and needed all the help it could get. Plus it wasn't just the regular people going crazy. Some of the villains were also free.

"Cinderblock is just a mile ahead." Beast Boy reported to Raven.

"Should we call in the others?" She asked, trying to spot the villain.

"No. But the authorities should be told where he is so they can pick him up. There's a another group just a few hundred yards east of him. You take those."

"You can't take on Cinderblock alone." The communicator transmitted her worry.

"Don't worry. He won't know what hit him. That other group is starting to light fires, so they need immediately attention."

She accelerated, wanting to handle the vandals, and then rush to help the shape shifter. They were easy to just wrap up, being normal people. She was puzzled as to what they hoped to accomplish. The city was in dire straits even with the Gordanian machines gone. Why would they now try to tear the place apart? A sound like thunder echoed across the distance, coming from where Beast Boy had went to meet Cinderblock. She hurried there only to see that the concrete villain had been pounded into the asphalt up to his neck. He wore a stunned expression.

_Why did I ever think the Tree was just good for defense. _Beast Boy wondered. He had only flown a few hundred feet above the villain, and then dropped down, turning into the alien plant at the last second. He'd been right; the villain hadn't know what happened to him.

"What did you do to him, and what was that sound?" Raven asked, curious.

"I just hit him with a very big stick." The green-skinned hero replied. "Another group just a few hundred feet ahead, and a little to your right." He sighed. "This is going to be a long night." He turned and headed towards a smaller group just a little to his left.

"Very." The violet-haired girl replied, but she sounded pleased. In fact, she was jubilant. She had what she wanted, him by her side once again.

They traversed the city, hitting gang after gang. It was slow going, but the various groups went down easy. It was just a matter of finding them, quickly subduing them, and then notifying the authorities. Beast Boy let her report the ones he apprehended.

More serious trouble arose when Cyborg ran into Billy Numerous. Outnumbered two hundred to one by the villain's clones he was taking a beating. Robin was busy with a large group of thirty or forty youth who were taking great pride in their city by smashing windows. That left Raven and Beast Boy to help the cybernetic teen.

Raven held herself fifteen feet above the ground and tried to bind as many as she could with her dark magic.

Beast Boy took the form of the alien elephant. A little squatter, but used to twice earth's gravity, its muscles were a lot stronger, and its hide thicker. He charged the clones one by one and carefully trampled them underfoot, trying not to hurt them too much. The villain found a net, but he simply tore through it.

"Beast Boy?" Cyborg asked, seeing the strange green creature. The only reply he got was a weird sound that earth-born ears were never meant to hear. With the pressure off him, the cybernetic hero raised his cannon and started firing medium level shots of sonic energy that level two and three of their foes with each blast.

When thirty of the clones organized another assault on the half-titanium hero, Beast Boy changed into a Tamaranian and flew over them, raining down starbolts. When they tried to overwhelm him by throwing objects, he landed and charged as the alien elephant once again.

It took time, but after the first few minutes the end was never in doubt. Raven was safe in the air, while the alien elephant form was extremely fast and durable. Cyborg had pushed himself to the limit to make up for the shame of having needed to call for help. The clones eventually underwent some sort of shock, and they all collapsed back in being one person, Billy Numerous.

The night was long, but with Beast Boy able to spot the gangs instantly from the air, and direct the rest to them, a wave of tranquility washed across the city.

It was early morning before the shape shifter and Raven returned to her apartment to find Aeopie still curled up in the chair, disguised as a pile of blankets. She was snoring lightly.

"She'd adorable." Raven couldn't help by say, peering at the petite girl.

"She is." Beast Boy agreed, for some reason feeling proud as thought she actually were his little sister. "I'll take her and find some place for the rest of the morning."

The violet-haired girl felt a twinge of panic stir within her. "You can't disturb her." She insisted. "You'll wake her up."

"Can't just leave her here." The shape shifter pointed out.

"Yes you can."

Raven took a deep breath, blushing a bright red, but not facing the green-skinned boy. "I need a shower. You probably do too." She took another deep breath, feeling excited yet so incredibly scared. "Not much hotter water so best if you join me." She headed to the washroom, not looking behind her, her heart racing fast enough to make her feel dizzy.

Beast Boy gulped, blushing at the invitation, yet also scared silly. Still, he took one last look at the sleeping girl, and then followed Raven into the washroom.

Despite the incredible weariness that dragged at them, they did more than shower. A while later the two of them, both radiating bliss, curled up together and slept, snuggled close together. Within Raven Happy and Timid struggled to set their domains in order. Beast Boy finally felt as if he'd come home.

One orange eye opened and peered at them. Aeopie smiled, and drifted off the sleep again, soaking up the feelings of bliss as if it were sunshine. It felt a lot like being home.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Some of Beast Boy's actions in this chapter might seem a bit overprotective. But despite the short time he does see the girl as a little sister._

_There won't be anything too explicit. However, that Beast Boy and Raven are a couple will be clearly shown._

_One common word for Starfire's people is Troq, meaning nothing. Her race being looked down upon is part of Teen Titan lore and not just something I added to the story._

_Raven has learned what having the girl in her mind is like, so she wouldn't have been able to give her a 'push' without her knowing it. Starfire is the one who gave her the push, warning her to move before it's too late._

_Beast Boy is totally immune to the mind reading part of Aeopie's gifts. She can't be cheating at checkers that way._

_Time: Morning._

* * *

_**Waking Up,... A Reunion,... The Ultimatum and an Overprotective Beast Boy,... The Fleet,...**_

A single green eye opened and peered around, noting that Aeopie was still buried beneath a ton of blankets in her chair. Sensitive ears told the shape shifter the girl was sound asleep. For once her presence was mildly irritating as it meant any plans he might've had for the owner of the arms and legs that were wrapped around him had to be discarded. To say he felt good would be an understatement. Their brief tryst in the shower had been incredible. His face broke out in a smile. The violet-eyed girl was clasped around him as tightly as was humanly possible, and it was having a certain affect on him. He had a ton of responsibilities, but for the moment he let them slide and just enjoyed the moment.

Beast Boy studied one of the arms. Whereas once he would've described it as slim it could now only be called skinny; Raven had lost a bit of weight. _So long as she doesn't see this as just a one night stand that can be fixed. _He decided. _A full breakfast every morning, just like she used to have back at the tower._ The leg wrapped around him shifted and a small moan escaped his lips. _She needs her sleep. _He quietly sighed with frustration. _She was in a healing trance twice yesterday to heal major wounds, and then she spent the whole night, along with a large part of the morning, rounding up criminals. So I should just remain still and enjoy just being here like this._ With a small moan of contentment the shape shifter let his head settle back on the pillow. _After all, who would complain about being in paradise? _

Sleepily, she struggled to awareness. The bed was warmer, and far more comfortable than she was used to. Then the events of the previous day rushed back to her. He'd returned. The violet-haired girl let her eyes remain shut as she reached out with her senses. There was the girl in the chair, contentedly sleeping. Then there was him, Beast Boy. She stifled a grin as she realized he was far more than _merely_ content. And what more, he was exactly where she wished him to be; wrapped in her arms. Her boldness the night before had had her heart racing with fear, but he'd accepted her offer. She'd read between the lines of what Starfire had said about Burningfire. _Move now, or lose your chance. _The violet-eyed girl told herself, repeating the unspoken message. And so she had, and now ... She smiled and snuggled closer.

_I need a bigger apartment. _She realized, as she peered at the sleeping girl who rendered all her plans for the shape shifter futile. _Maybe the shower again?_

"Morning." Beast Boy greeted her.

"Morning." She replied, soaking up the mixture of emotions she read from him. Starfire had been right; he had changed a lot. The affection he had for her was a strong, steady, flame. She could feel the way he thought about her and it was all she'd ever wished for; clear and pure. There was also concern. Not just for her, but for the girl as well. He'd always had a strong sense of responsibility, thought he'd rarely shown it. Raven smiled. There was also an intense, barely controlled lust that flowed through him; it matched her own. _The shower again. _She pondered, peering at the sleeping girl.

"Is she comfortable sleeping like that?" Raven wondered out loud, even though what discomfort flowed from the telepath seemed to have nothing to do with the chair.

"She always sleeps curled up." Beast Boy replied. "Should still find a better arrangement for her though."

"Hmmm. Yeah." _So long as it doesn't involved you disappearing again. _She snuggled closer until the full length of her body was pressed against his. It'd never been like this with Robin. She wanted much more than that now. "Shower?" She quietly whispered in his ear.

"Hmm." He gave the sleeping girl a glance. "Would love one." The shape shifter honestly replied with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Raven couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

An hour later she was sitting down with a plateful of pancakes and eggs in front of her. It was the sort of meal she might've eaten back in Titan's Tower. Unfortunately she couldn't cook even if her life depended on it. The one time she'd tried she'd nearly poisoned the rest of her teammates, with the sole exception of Starfire who could eat everything.

"Is that healthy for her?" Raven asked, looking at Aeopie was who munching on two large slices of cake.

"Doubt it." Beast Boy replied. "But it's the best I can do for now. The food they had on the ship for her is starting to run low."

"It's not." The orange-eyed telepath admitted. "Though it's closer than that." She pointed at the empath's own breakfast.

"What sort of food do you usually eat?" Raven inquired.

"Cake." Came the mumbled response.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Beast Boy immediately said. Raven turned to look at him and he turned red. He definitely wasn't one to lecture others on manners.

"Aeopie continued. "Mostly cake anyway. We require more sugar in our food than other races do." She explained. "And the cakes my people make are enriched with everything we need. This has the sugar, but it doesn't have the rest of the stuff I need added to it."

"She's very smart." The shape shifter commented with a smile.

"I imagine being telepathic must help her learn pretty fast." The violet-haired girl replied. "No need to explain something, just show her the experience." Seeing a raised eyebrow, she wondered how to explain better. "She would know not to touch a hot stove not because she was warned it was dangerous, but because someone would've projected an experience of what being burned was like directly into her mind."

"Oh. Interesting." He looked at Aeopie who nodded.

"Our teachers just project a lesson into our minds, and then we're expected to use it." The girl munched down on a piece of cake.

Raven's communicator flickered and she answered it. "What is it?" She mumbled, her own mouth full of pancakes.

"You're mumbling." Cyborg's voice came from the device. "You mean you're actually eating something without me having to force you?"

She swallowed. "Beast Boy cooked me breakfast." She explained.

"Oh." There was a long pause. "He's there?"

"He is." Happiness escaped her attempt at control.

"We need to discuss the city and were planning to met at your place."

"Okay. So long as you don't mind small cramped spaces." She wondered if Beast Boy and Aeopie would stay for the meeting.

"We'll be there in ten or so."

"Okay." She turned the device off. "You staying?" She immediately asked, sounding worried.

"If you don't mind." Beast Boy replied.

"I don't." The violet-eyed girl smiled, heart racing. She most definitely didn't mind.

* * *

At first it was awkward with Robin and Cyborg offering repeated apologies. Beast Boy tried saying he wasn't angry several times, and attempted to explaining why without giving Aeopie away. It wasn't easy, but he thought the least number of people who knew about her the better. Eventually they got down to business.

"Jump City isn't as bad off as one might've expected." The cybernetic teen explain. "Safety standards were always a bit high, so the buildings aren't going to just collapse yet. That problem will need to be handled eventually, but it can be put off for a while. The nuclear plants weren't touched so unlike a lot of other places we got plenty of power. The streets are safe again, meaning the city workers can work on repairing the power lines without fear." He shrugged and smiled. "And while the gangs were a big menace they caused people to group together and show some true Jump City spirit. In all we're pretty well off."

"Good." Raven intoned with a slight smile. She and Beast Boy were sitting on her bed, speaking through the open door. Aeopie was once again beneath a pile of blankets in her chair. Robin and Cyborg were sitting at the table using its chairs. Lacking a place to sit, Starfire was hovering in the air radiating happiness. The apartment was small, and the six of them made it seem even smaller.

"The Tamaranians really cleaned up the silver minion." Robin grinned at Starfire who beamed back. "Those ships still hanging around are making me nervous though. If they'd given up they would've left. Any ideas on what they're planning?" He looked around.

"The ship we're currently occupying has been scanned several times." Starfire replied. "A number of Gordanians have attempted to land. It would seem they're looking for something. Given their interest in the vessel Beast Boy captured it's probably something from it."

The shape shifter gulped as a number of faces turned his way. Raven and Aeopie were the only exceptions. "I should've realized that." He replied with a sigh.

Aeopie struggled out from under her blanket pile and sat down between him and Raven. "They think I'm dead." She whispered in his ear. "The oxygen content on the ship got pretty low, but they still want to make sure. They're scared."

"Oh." Beast Boy frowned.

"Who's she?" Robin asked.

"Not human or Tamaranian." Cyborg added, scanning her.

"Turn that scanner off." Beast Boy warned with a growl. _If the Gordanians can still hack our systems and they see that scan ... _"And delete it now." He added. His arm rose to surround the girl. _Should've known they wouldn't let someone like her go so easily._

Raven picked up on his mild panic, and used it to decide what had him scared. "Delete it." She ordered as well. Feeling the girl's sudden fear, her own arm rose to surround her.

"Done." Cyborg replied, puzzled."

"Don't they look a family." Starfire suddenly spoke, watching the three of them. A man and a woman with their arms held protectively around a young girl. She turned to look at Robin with a certain speculative light in her eyes.

"I don't think now's the time to discuss that Star." Boy Wonder replied.

"Soon then?" Asked a hopeful alien.

"Hrm. Ten to twenty years maybe. Perhaps thirty."

"Oh." The orange-skinned Titan floated down to the floor.

"How's Tamaran doing?" Beast Boy asked, not wanting the topic to return to Aeopie.

"Well." She smiled and bounced back in the air.

Cyborg paused and stared into space for a few seconds. "There was a message from the Gordanians." The cybernetic teen finally said with his gaze returning to Aeopie.

"What is it?" Robin demanded.

Holding up his wrist the half-titanium Titan played a video showing an oldish looking Gordanian speaking.

"Citizens of earth. Our fleet will withdraw when our property is returned. You have in your possession a girl who would appear to be nine earth years old. Be warned, she is dangerous and will destroy your world if you keep her. If she is not returned we will have no choice but to repeat what we did with Tamaran. Dead or alive, we demand her return. You have twenty-four hours to reply." An image that was clearly Aeopie was displayed, though the orange of her eyes was omitted.

_If they let any race know they dealt with her kind it probably wouldn't go too well for them. _Beast Boy mused with a frown as all eyes turned towards the girl.

"Who is she?" Robin repeated.

"A prisoner I found on their ship." The shape shifter admitted.

"Why's she so dangerous?" Boy Wonder was in interrogation mode.

"None of your business." Beast Boy replied, not blinking.

"I'm the leader and you will ..."

"I'm not a Titan." The shape shifter bluntly said.

"I will not allow a threat to Jump City to walk around free." Robin stated, trying to stare the ex-Titan down.

"She's not a threat. The Gordanians are." He kept his arm protectively around the girl.

Robin stepped forward to emphasise his next remark. What it was to be no one ever knew. The second he moved Beast Boy reacted faster, making a split second transition to what he called a Land Squid and back. To the people in the room it looked as if the shape shifter hadn't moved, while a black mist appeared out of nowhere and engulfed the fearless leader. Everyone froze, prepared to jump into action, but the fight was already over.

"What did you do to friend Robin?" Starfire asked with her hands raised to throw starbolts..

"A useful shape I picked up on a world not far from here." Beast Boy explained. "Like a squid, but with twenty arms instead of eight. Its ink is aerosolized, creating a cloud in the air that blocks sight and acts as a glue." He stared at the infuriated leader who was coated in a black goo that rendered him unable to move. "You will not decide Aeopie's future on a whim." He stated to his foe who could no longer respond.

Boy Wonder thrashed back and forth, with just his nose and eyes free of the sticky substance.

"You've got to know we would never harm the girl, or hand her over to the Gordanians." Cyborg cautiously stated.

"I would never allow that to happen." Raven said, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Hurting children isn't our way."

"No Tamaranian would ever harm a child." Starfire stated plainly.

"Maybe. But he's stubborn and when he gets an idea in his head ..." The shape shifter shrugged. "Sorry. Maybe I overreacted. The form comes from a pretty dry world, and simple water will dissolve the ink."

Twenty minutes later, after Starfire had dragged Boy Wonder to the washroom and given him a thorough cleaning, they resumed the talk.

"So what are you willing to say about her?" An infuriated, yet humbled Robin asked.

"She's an innocent who's been used by them for crimes that makes it impossible for her to return home." Beast Boy replied.

"Why would the Gordanians want a child?" Cyborg asked. "She's no Tamaranian so she doesn't even have super strength."

"I wonder what would happen if the other races found out they had you?" Beast Boy asked, knowing the team needed an answer.

"They would assume I was on any Gordanian ship that approached them, and would automatically try to destroy it." Aeopie replied. "It's a risky game they're playing, and it has them terrified."

"And if they found you were on earth?" Raven wondered.

"Any earth ship would be destroyed on sight." Came the simply reply. "It would've been best if no one had found out about me." The girl turned to look at Beast Boy. "We should've just wandered in space, approaching no world."

"Wait." Cyborg said, looking puzzled. "You mean if anyone saw a ship they thought you was aboard they would just shoot at it."

"Yes." Aeopie stated. "They would."

"Why?"

"Ships and weapons can be guarded against. My people cannot." She explained. "So others fear us."

"Talyn." Starfire whispered, eyes going wide as she backed away in fear.

"Don't worry. I'm a kid. I can't do much yet." Aeopie tried to reassure the terrified girl.

Cyborg and Robin turned to see the orange-skinned Titan was pale, and obviously frightened.

"The people of Talyn." The girl whispered, staring at the child. "Weaker than the weakest of children, with the power to cleanse a world with a single thought. Able to play with other races as a child plays with a doll. Be warned least the infection spreads; destroy any ship tainted with their touch."

"What?" Robin asked, puzzled that someone like Starfire would be afraid of such a small girl.

"Physically weak, with no weapons, races have seen them as easy conquests in the past." She explained, eyes not moving from the girl. "Those worlds paid with the price of their lives. Entire races cast into extinction as though at the whim of a child."

"Whole races? Extinction?" Cyborg gulped, turning to look at the girl who flinched.

"It's said they can ..."

"Okay! SHUTUP!" Beast Boy shouted. "Enough with the fear mongering." He glared at Starfire. "You of all people should know better than to spread such rumors."

"We've seen the worlds that perished." She replied bluntly.

"Whatever. That was nearly twenty thousand years ago, and they were responding to an attack." He fumed, staring until she looked away. He turned to face the others. "So now you know. If you give her to the Gordanians then they'll use her as a weapon. That isn't an option."

"At least it explains our actions." The Tamaranian said. "And you must know that friend Beast Boy. She tried to kill you."

He shrugged. "No. The Gordanians tried to kill me. She was just the weapon they used. Unless you're keen on killing a kid forget about that and focus on what to do about the threat to turn earth into another Tamaran."

"If her kind can kill a whole world, she can just make the Gordanians go away." Starfire stated.

"She's a kid." Beast Boy pointed out. "And there's just one of her. How do you expect her to control a whole race. You're strong, but could you defeat all of Gordania?"

"No." She admitted.

In the end Beast Boy explained the whole situation. While he was sure they wouldn't hurt her, or turn her over to the Gordanians, he cringed with each word he spoke. He could see the way they thought about her change with each word. Beside him she trembled with her hand clutching his. When he talked of how her race had simply commanded another to die they all gulped, turning white, and stared at the poor girl who closed her eyes, being unable to stand the stares. He held her, and gratefully noted Raven had her own hand on the child's shoulder.

"Dangerous." Robin admitted. "But then many of the metahumans could destroy the earth if they went out of control, yet we tolerate them."

Beast Boy relaxed.

"Most of us could." Raven agreed. "Superman could do it easily. I know I could even without releasing Trigon."

"I'm not in that league." Cyborg admitted. "But I could still wreck some damage."

"Poor child." Starfire said, practically crying. "Perhaps she would like some Tamaranian cooking. Earth food not might give her all the vitamins she needs.:

Everyone in the room, including Aeopie, shuddered at the comment. For all her intelligence, the orange-skinned alien had yet to realize what the others thought of her cooking.

"I wonder how long before the malls of shopping will be opened?" Cyborg mentioned casually as a way to distract the woman. It worked.

"Soon, I hope." The orange-skinned Titan exclaimed, voice filled with excitement.

The shape shifter smiled. "I'm sorry." He said for the second time that day. "I nearly killed her, not realizing they might have someone in the brig. When I saw a little kid and she wasn't moving ..." He shrugged, unable to express the horror and guilt he'd felt. "And she's grown on me. She's like a little sister to me now, and I'm not allowing anyone to hurt her. Sorry that thought you would."

Starfire smiled. "We understand. I feel the same way about my little brother Wildfire. I miss him and would protect him with my life."

"A sister of yours is a sister of mine." Cyborg simply said with honest feeling.

"Protecting children might be the main reason I became Robin in the first place." Boy Wonder said. "Sorry I went into interrogation mode and became so obsessed."

"I like her." Raven intoned with the hint of a smile. "I would be proud to have a kid like her." Her hand remained on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm dangerous." Aeopie dared to say.

"Only if you're bad." Starfire said, kneeling down beside her. "And you're not bad are you?"

The orange-eyed girl looked up at Beast Boy fearfully.

"She's just an ordinary kid with a few gifts." He replied, smiling at her. The girl sighed in relief.

Robin knelt beside her as well and held out his hands showing they were empty. Reaching behind her ear he pulled out a new, unwrinkled, crisp, hundred-dollar bill. 'Maybe when Starfire goes to the shopping mall she'll take you with her and you can buy something." He suggested.

The girl took the offered gift, staring wide-eyed.

The leader stood up and took his seat again. "There's no way we're turning her over to the Gordanians." He reassured Beast Boy. "But that still leaves us with the question of what do we do?"

"Starfire might be the best one to ask about that." The shape shifter said.

"They used antimatter to wreck the havoc they did on Tamaran." She started. "As powerful as it is the amount needed is still huge, and the ships slow since violent moments could cause an accident. We would see them from a ways off with the captured ship's sensors. And we would be able to intercept it. However, to stop such a ship we would need to attack it directly, and one of my people would die in the resulting explosion. Even Gordanians fear to pilot them and use robots instead."

"If I were older." Aeopie said with a sigh.

"Not acceptable." Beast Boy said. "No one is dying."

"Agreed." Robin stated. "No one is dying."

"They have fourteen ships in orbit." The shape shifter pondered aloud. "How about we focus on handling those and then use them as defense when the heavy artillery arrives?"

"We can handle them." Starfire stated with a slight frown.

"If I recall correctly, you said some of your people would get hurt, or even die." He replied. "That's not acceptable. How many would you need to get inside to take the ships with no one getting hurt?"

"Ten." She instantly replied. "The people who came with me are the best."

He nodded. "So that's what we do." He looked towards Robin. "We need the T-ship."

"Hijack one of their cargo ships, and use it as a way to infiltrate some of their warships?" The leader mused, immediately understanding what the plan was. "I like it."

Beast Boy nodded.

* * *

Three hours later they were ready.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is the Xvinftctain fast freighter Jin. Need immediate assistance." The T-ship sent the message out on a loop, repeating it over and over.

Soon the Gordanian cargo ship appeared on the T-ship's sensors. It carried only minor weapons that would be useless in a real fight, but they would be more than enough to handle what they believed to be a simple freighter that had none. Raven paled as she sensed the enemy's crew's sick and twisted lust at the expected slaughter. The alien vessel turned towards the Titan's ship, and demanded an immediate surrender. They gave it.

When the cargo ship came near Raven teleported onto the Gordanian ship with twenty Tamaranians that had been crammed inside the T-ship. The enemy crew which consisted of three Gordanians immediately surrendered without even getting off a message.

"Phase one complete." Beast Boy said, pleased no one had got hurt. An hour later they picked up a hundred and twenty of Starfire's people.

Back in the solar system they approached the first of the Gordanian destroyers claiming they had cargo to transfer. Once again Raven teleported twenty Tamaranian soldiers onto the ship's bridge. The crew had no time to send off a warning, and in less than a minute the Titans had another vessel to call their own.

They repeated the process, leaving behind ten Tamaranians to keep control of each ship. Soon they captured the eighth, and last destroyer, without a single one of Starfire's people getting hurt. In all it'd taken twelve hours given they had to wait long enough between each ship to make it appear they really were off-loading cargo. Keeping the crews of the untaken ships unsuspicious for that long was the worst task the Tamaranians had to deal with. The process caused many of the race, all of which had iron-clad stomaches, to throw up violently and repeatedly. To learn the enemy's language they had to kiss them, and the results weren't pretty. To be cautious they placed the crews in the brigs with shackles and cleaned up the mess themselves, though many wished to make their hated foes do it.

That done they turned their attention to the scouts. They claimed three before the remainder caught on and boosted from the system for all they were worth. The destroyers weren't fast enough to caught the small ships, and so long as the ships were leaving there was no need to risk lives taking them anyway.

Not only were the silver minion now gone, but the alien fleet above as well. There was still the matter of the antimatter ships that might come, and plans would have to be made to handle them, but for now they celebrated a victory and their new fleet.

* * *

"You okay?" Beast Boy asked a pale faced Raven a few hours later.

The violet-eyed girl nodded. "Just being so close to them was disturbing. It's a wonder Aeopie managed it for so long without going crazy." She looked at the girl who was curled up in her chair again. She'd been on the mission, but only to give warning if the plan was about to fail.

"I just toned them out." She replied. "And the device they had on me helped block most of it." Her eyes were closed, and she was once again beneath a pile of blankets.

Raven gasped when the shape shifter started rubbing her shoulders, and was soon purring. She closed her eyes and let a small smile cross her lips. _If there wasn't a kid around ... _She moaned contentedly. _Need a bigger apartment. _She thought with some frustration.

_This one is plenty big enough. I like the chair. _A voice not her own echoed in her mind.

_Eavesdropper. _The violet-eyed girl placed the thought her mind so the girl would see it.

_Nay. You're projecting your thoughts again_. Came the amused reply.

_Stop listening. _Raven insisted.

_My kind need positive feelings to grow normally. _The orange-eyed girl replied. _I could block out their thought on the ship for the most part, but there's something in cheerful thoughts that helps regulate our brain chemistry. I was really near death when Beast Boy showed up. I can't read his mind, but I can feel his concern and love for me. His love for you too. I'm not starving anymore._

_Oh. _Raven didn't know what to say. _Still you can't just listen in like that._

_Don't worry. I don't. _The girl reassured her. _I'm going to nap now._

Raven waited, and sensed the girl fall asleep. "I need a shower." She said. "All that teleporting was a bit of a strain and I need to relax." She didn't need to ask him whether he wanted to join her. He actually opened the washroom door for her with a silly grin on his face. _Probably matches the grin on my face. _She mused.

* * *

End of Chapter.

A very interesting foe might appear in the next chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	12. Chapter 12

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Beast Boy will be using aspects of the beast. In the show he said he could still feel it inside, and in this chapter he uses that fact._

_What can the Joker's form be used for? In this chapter you find out._

_I very much doubt Robin would mind Starfire jumping in the shower with him, whatever the reason may be._

_Time: A week later._

* * *

_**Premonition,... Most Glorious Morning,... The Celebration,... The Battle,... Nevermore,... A Resolution,...**_

"Another shower?" An amused, orange-eyed, girl asked as Raven and Beast Boy left the washroom..

"Hmm. Can never be too clean." A blushing violet-eyed girl replied. _I need a bigger apartment. _She told herself. Aeopie was still claiming a certain large chair as a bed, and it left her and Beast Boy little privacy during the times they most desired it. Not that there was anywhere else for her to sleep.

"Chocolate waffles for breakfast?" The telepath asked hopefully, changing the subject.

"I really wish I knew what was healthy for you." Beast Boy replied, thinking. "Given the food you had on the ship I'm pretty sure chocolate isn't bad for you. But ..." He sighed, obviously concerned over her nutritional intake. Cyborg had been allowed to carefully scan her after he'd promised not to place the data anywhere where it could be hacked. Future scans could be compared, and hopefully tell them if the girl developed any problems with her diet before it caused trouble. Still it was worrisome.

"Did your people ever eat anything like fruits and vegetables?" Raven asked.

"Long ago. But we only need trace elements from them." Aeopie replied. "If I drink a glass of orange juice, then can I have chocolate waffles?"

Beast Boy and Raven looked at each other. "I'm pretty sure she's healthy." The violet-eyed girl commented.

The shape shifter nodded. "Chocolate covered waffles." He agreed. "Again." He added under his breath which only caused the two girls to grin at him. Unable to resist, he found himself grinning back. Happily, he set about preparing the meal.

Raven sat back beside Aeopie as the two of them watched the shape shifter work. A slight ache in the back of her head distracted her and she rose. "I need to visit Nevermore. Back soon." She told them.

* * *

Levitating she studied the land below her, astonished at the change. The putrid swamp was drying up with a bright orange-colored grass starting to cover it. _The color of Aeopie's eyes. _She realized, wondering what was going on. The scent of chocolate rose to meet her as she descended. _Okay, now this is weird. _The girl muttered to herself. _There's no way I can ever bring the kid here. She would try to eat the grass. _A stand of trees, no longer weathered and dying stood to one side of the field, and she directed herself towards it. _Thankfully the trees are normal. _Raven sighed with relief. _If one can consider pink cotton-candy trees normal._ The color of the sky had partially returned to it usual yellow, and a single strawberry was floating around. The mixture of aromas was something only Happy could love. And maybe Aeopie.

"Morning." Knowledge said, pushing her spectacles up. They were no longer broken, and the emoticlone seemed quite content resting against a tree with a book in her hands. Her cloak was once again pure yellow, with no signs it had ever been stained by living close to a rotting swamp.

"Morning." Greeted a pink-clad emoticlone she hadn't seen for so long.

"Morning." She replied, and on impulse reached out to pull Happy into a hug. For some reason she found herself on the brink of tears. After a few second she stepped back. "Orange colored grass that smells like chocolate?" She asked.

Happy shrugged. "Thought it would be nice. You got to admit she has pretty eyes."

"She does." Raven agreed. "Still ..." She looked around, and smiled. "Weird, but I like it."

"Of course you do. You're me." The pink-clad emoticlone replied.

Raven looked towards Timid's labyrinth.

"She's made some changes too." Knowledge informed her. "She's extended the stone walls down on one side so it rests on solid ground. That fixed the tilt where it was sinking in the swamp. Sometimes when the wind blows the right way she opens an entrance. It seems she likes the new smell of Happy's domain. I suspect she'll be out soon."

"Good." The violet-haired girl smiled, truly happy. Once she'd hated this place, but when it was taken away she'd discovered she missed it.

"But that's not why you're here." Knowledge sighed, and her expression changed to one of worry.

"Oh?" Raven sat on the grass beside her, and then pulled Happy down next to her.

"I wish I could just tell you a shower would fix this, but it won't." The yellow-clad emoticlone spoke solemnly.

"Which isn't saying you should stop taking those showers." Happy spoke, grinning widely with her eyes lit up.

"No worries there." Raven replied with a grin, but she kept her eyes on Knowledge.

"Happy. This is serious." Knowledge stated, staring at her fellow emoticlone who suddenly calmed down.

"How serious?" Raven asked, starting to feel more than just a little worried.

The yellow-clad emoticlone fixed her spectacles again. "When the fight starts trust BB to take care of himself." She stated with a frown. "Keep the girl safe. If she dies it will break him for a long time. Perhaps forever. He's starting to sense his true power, and should he lose control and take vengeance the price would be more than he could ever hope to pay."

"Fight?" She sank back against the tree. "Why is there always so much fighting? The last week has been nice. The villains are in hiding and I wake up with him beside me. Then there's Aeopie who's ..."

"Like a little sister." Happy asked.

Raven nodded. "She so precious, and so brave. She can't ever go back to her own people, but she still puts on a smile."

"Keep her safe, and those good times might continue." Knowledge said. "That's something we all would like. Even Rage."

* * *

Breakfast was good. Chocolate covered waffles was something she would've once laughed at, but she now realized it wasn't just the food that was important; it was the people you ate it with. Beast Boy sat across from her with their legs touching beneath the too small table. To one side Aeopie sat and silently ate, clearly content.

With a loud bang the door flew over the table, barely missing them, and slammed into a wall.

"Is it not the most glorious of mornings my precious friends." Starfire's bubbly voice spoke from the doorway. She floated into the room, radiating pure joy with her eyes glowing a bright green. "News most wonderful." She excitedly exclaimed, beaming at them with a smile that was pretty extreme even for her.

Raven gulped, and let the dark energy around her hands fade. "I hope you brought enough money to pay for the door." She intoned as the sheer joy of orange-skinned alien irresistibly flooded her.

"Door?" The woman looked confused, and then just shrugged as if it didn't matter. "The women of Tamaran are pregnant." She excitedly told them. "How? We do not know. But of the seven thousand of us a little over five thousand will bear children." She rose to the ceiling and bounced off, leaving a huge dent in it. "I told friend Robin and then had to come to tell you." She twirled around the room and in the excitement picked Aeopie up and whirled her carefully around.

"I thought it was impossible." Beast Boy said, smiling back at the beaming woman. "That Tamaran was too polluted."

"That was what we thought, and why we built the Citadel. It was to keep the air pure and be a place where women could have children as we rebuilt our world. But in the years since it was built not one woman ever gave birth in it. Now five thousand will." She flipped head over heeled through the air, still cradling Aeopie who was enjoying the attention.

"So what changed?" Raven asked.

"We don't know. We seeded the oceans with the new algae, and it grows; Tamaran will soon have a living ocean once more. But that has no affect on the people in the Citadel." She paused and smiled, closing her eyes as she held the small girl against her. Aeopie wrapped her own arms around the woman and hugged her back.

"Did any Tamaranians at all have children since it was devastated?" Raven inquired.

"Very few. Only those who abandoned our world and found ones filled with life. That is why we thought Tamaran was too hurt for us to bear children."

"Emotions." The violet-eyed girl simply replied. "You're a people based on emotions. Those who left would've accepted your home world was dying, and would've embraced a new life elsewhere. They would've felt hope. And with the prospect of your oceans healing the people of Tamaran would've felt hope. But I would've thought you would've realized that."

"Why would they?" Beast Boy asked. "They're inhumanly strong and tough. What need would they've had for medical science? Children would've been born and to them it would've been just the way it was supposed to be."

"Hope." Starfire breathed. "Yes. For the first time ever my generation feels hope." She smiled. "And with children to surround us there shall be more hope, and more children. No more will we see ourselves as a race dying, but as a race reborn."

"That is good news, friend Starfire." Raven beamed a smile back at her friend.

The orange-skinned alien had tears of unbridled joy running down her cheeks. "When your people have rebuilt the damage done by the silver minion we shall approach some of you for trade, and that shall bring us more hope."

* * *

"Good news." Beast Boy smiled an hour later as he and Raven tried to fix the door.

"Very." She agreed happily.

"Will I be allowed to play with them?" Aeopie asked, clearly doubting that she would.

"I'm sure you will." Raven replied, giving the girl a little hug. "At least when Starfire has kids you will."

"Good. How long before I can play with them?" Her eyes glowed with excitement.

"No idea." The violet-eyed girl admitted. "They got to be born first." She looked at Beast Boy.

He shrugged. "Don't look at me. I have no idea how long it take a Tamaranian to have a baby."

"You can change into one." She pointed out.

"A male one. They can't get pregnant." He looked up at the ceiling, appearing thoughtful. "At least I don't think they can."

Raven ran a hand across her stomach. It would be a long time before she thought herself ready for kids, but Starfire's excitement had been infectious. "Let's have a small celebration." She said. "There four hundred of them on earth, and we can do something."

In shock, Beast Boy turned to stare with his mouth open. It took him several seconds to recover. "You mean something like a party?" He asked, still shocked the violet-eyed girl would make such a suggestion.

"Well ..." Raven sighed. "That's not practical." She admitted with a frown.

"We can still do something." The shape shifter mused. "Starfire is a princess, so we can show our happiness at such an occasion by giving her a gift. And the top of the Tower is pretty big. We can hold an event there if Robin allows it. It's not like they actually need a place they can stand." He grinned. "Given how excited they probably are I'll bet they can't sit; they'll be all floating around in the air."

Robin gave approval and they set about preparing the roof. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. A perfect day for a party outside. Soon Cyborg was setting up tables. Jinx had arrived back from the Titans East and was helping him; at least when she wasn't trying to make out with him. Boy Wonder had phoned half-a-dozen catering services to help prepare the food, trying to get a lot of variety to give the Tamaranians a taste of what human cuisine was really like. To Aeopie's delight they'd ordered nearly a hundred cakes, along with over a thousand cupcakes. The poor kid was looking around in wonder, not knowing what to taste first. Her eyes were a bright excited orange.

Seeing the bright orange of the girl's eyes, Raven frowned. She found a nice cloak that would suit the telepath, along with some dark sunglasses. It might hinder the girl's excitement somewhat, but none of the Tamaranians other than Starfire knew she was one of the most feared races in the whole universe. She tried to make up for it by telling the girl she could taste any of the cakes she wanted even before the party began. It worked and the drooling telepath rushed off towards the nearest pile of cupcakes, hands outreached. Raven actually found herself giggling at the sight.

Preparation continued, and they called Starfire to ask her to assemble her people. The main gift came not just from the Titans but from Jump City as a whole, along with donations from other cities and groups. Everyone had seen them defeat the silver minion, and knew they had a debt to repay. Hundred of saved cities, with billions of people. To thank them, and to celebrate the Tamaranian children that were to be born, ten billion in credit would be offered so they could purchase whatever Earth could offer to help heal their world.

* * *

With four hundred people around listening to Starfire give a speech of thanks, no one noticed a little girl drop a half eaten piece of cake and start to walk away. Even Raven, who'd been carefully keeping tabs on her with her empathic senses briefly lost track.

"Aeopie." She simply stated to Beast Boy when she searched, and found the girl wasn't near.

He took to the air in the form of a falcon, surveying the area. Raven had told him about Knowledge's warning, and both of them had tried to keep tabs on the girl. Unfortunately it wasn't possible to keep someone in sight a hundred percent of the time. Frantically he scanned the ground with his keen vision. He could spot a rabbit at a mile, and the girl was a lot bigger than that. Nor was she making any attempts to hide as she quickly walked away towards a point that seemed to shimmer red.

_Cloaked ship. _The shape shifter realized immediately, having seen the heat signature of a cloaked vessel before when he'd become trapped on a Gordanian cargo craft. Shifting to the form of a Tamaranian he headed for the girl while using his communicator to alert Raven. She teleported to him, and he pointed out where the hidden ship was.

_Who? _The enraged half demon wondered, unable to sense anyone where Beast Boy claimed the ship was. Her hands blazed with darkness and she felt things she'd never felt before. A primal need to protect, to render apart anyone who dared to threaten what was hers. The closest she'd ever come to it was when she'd fought Trigon, but this went beyond that. Then she'd been protecting her precious friends, but now those threatened were her lover and her ... her child.

Beast Boy flew down and grabbed Aeopie, pulling her away from the ship. Immediately a familiar pain struck him. It was the same as when he'd first met the girl and she'd believed he would kill her; when she'd been trying to defend herself. But this was immensely greater, and it blasted into his mind like a wrecking ball. _It's just pain. _He told himself, and continued to fly away with the girl tucked under his arm. Still the agony continued to tear at him until he felt something rise inside him. The beast roared its own rage, a burst of pure emotion into his mind, and the pain faded.

_Where do I take her. _He wondered frenetically, knowing those who sought her would be able to trace her anywhere. Starbolts rained down around him, and he paused in his flight.

"She's ours." A female Tamaranian spoke. "She has broken our laws, and is of our people. Return her."

"No." He replied, still struggling to think of a safe place. He couldn't even run into space since that would kill her.

"You've been warned. Return her." The orange-skinned woman spoke again.

"No." The shape shifter looked around, struggling to find a safe place to run. Panic threatened to consume him as he realized the true danger he was in; there were four hundred Tamaranian soldiers here for Aeopie's people to command. Few things could face that and survive. Around him the world burst into pain as nearly a hundred of them attacked.

Beast Boy knew he had only one form that could survive the inferno that roared around him. He became the Tree, and let its steel-hard skin absorb the impact. Aeopie he kept below him, hanging from a branch. As soon as the attack had started it faded. Immediately he switched into a Tamaranian and tried to fly away. His path was blocked in every direction, and he couldn't fight. If he was to try the battle would rip the fragile girl to shreds.

_When the fight starts trust BB to take care of himself. Keep the girl safe. _Knowledge's words echoed in Raven's mind. Immediately she teleported to Beast Boy's side and took the girl from him. A second later she reappeared on the ground. How far she could teleport was limited, but a series of short jumps swiftly took her away from the alien craft. In her arms Aeopie remained still. Something tried to reach into her to force her submission, but she'd already learned how to blocked such attempts. A black shield arose, not around her body, but around her mind and the sensation of someone trying to control her faded.

Freed from the fear of harming the girl he returned to the form of a Tamaranian. His own starbolts raged back against the mind-controlled army arrayed against him, doing little damage. He couldn't kill the innocent, but ... His eyes turned towards the ship. As the attack continued he whirled around, spinning dozens of times per second. Then he became the Tree once again with his ends moving in a circle at nearly ten thousand miles per hour. He bent and stretched beneath the massive forced that nearly shattered his steel-hard body, yet it held. The wind rose from the ground and a tornado of unheard of proportions formed around him, sucking up vast quantities of dust and water, creating a massive screen that blocked the sight of his unwilling foes.

Remembering where the ship was, he returned to the form of a Tamaranian and unleashed starbolts at it. Created by righteous fury, yet fueled by the rage of the beast that he felt dwelling within him, they smashed through the improvised smokescreen and slammed into the alien vessel like blasts of primal energy. Uncaring of how it drained him, he poured his very soul into the onslaught. The craft shimmered, and faded into view with parts of its hull clearly showing the effectiveness of his wrath. A force field rose to protect it, and for a while it held against his fury. Then, slowly, it began to turn black.

Hundreds of Tamaranians threw themselves into the howling winds and sought the shape shifter out. Their massed fire found him and his skin turned from green to black as it burned. Knowing he would soon die he broke off his attack and raced to a new place in the smokescreen of dust and wind. He managed a few more shots before they found him again. They couldn't see him, but the crew of the ship could sense him and then direction their mind-controlled army to him.

* * *

Raven raced away from the scene of the fight, frightened for the safety of her lover and the girl she held. Behind her half of the Tamaranians gave chase, and she knew for all her power she wouldn't stand a chance against them. She could try to run, but how do you hide from a telepathic race? _There has to be a way out. _She fumed, desperately seeking some method of keeping Aeopie safe. She could only trust Knowledge that Beast Boy could handle himself against the onslaught of a small army of the orange-skinned aliens.

Reaching out with her senses she found an abandoned building and teleported into it, only to have the mind-controlled army gather round and blast it into the ground. Desperately she moved to one building after another, hoping distance might allow her to hide. It was futile. A place where the sewage system ran deep also was found and starbolts blasted it oblivion, causing a huge section of it to collapse.

_One or two I could handle, but two hundred? _The violet-eyed girl suppressed her fear, and thought of the irony. _This wasn't a good day to have a party. We just gathered a small indestructible army for them._ Draining her energy she teleported again and again, even as the Tamaranians always found her. _What would Beast Boy do? What's the obvious solution? _Focusing on the vital need to find a way to safety, she randomly teleported again and again each time she was found.

* * *

Dozens of them found him, and he became the tree to absorb the impact of their starbolts. As powerful as the energy bolts were the Tree was immense. By his estimates it was around a million cubic feet, and each starbolt at most blasted less than a cubic foot from his tough outer surface. Even Tamaranians had their limits and a thousand starbolts each would tire them out. He could survive that. The Tree had no vital spots like a brain. No critical points that needed to be protected.

But while he was defending he wasn't attacking. For a second he shifted into Tamaranian form again, and hurled himself at the ship. In that brief instant his skin was burned even further, and the pain was beyond imagining, but he'd now become an immense spear aimed at the alien craft. His tip hit the shield and slipped along the top of it. His branches came next. Many of those snapped, but the ship's force field went down and the small vessel was tossed roughly along the ground. He became a Tamaranian and raced for the sky. For once the orange-skinned army didn't follow him.

* * *

_What is the obvious way out? _She racked her brains, and nearly kicked herself at how simple and obvious it was. For some reason the mind-controlled army had trouble finding her, and she teleported again and again, nearing unconsciousness. Barely standing, she reached her apartment and grabbed her mirror. Looking in it, she and Aeopie were teleported to Nevermore. Focusing, she brought the mirror with her. Landing in the strange landscape of her mind, she dropped to the ground knowing the battle wasn't over yet. Since she'd taken the mirror the portal out was still open and stable. She had to close it before they followed her.

It was too late. In the yellow sky an orange-skinned warrior appeared and hurled down towards them. The exhausted violet-eyed girl struggled to stand, but collapsed again. More warriors appeared behind that first one. They descended and prepared to send starbolts before them.

Raven blinked as the sky turned gray. Wearily, not able to move from the ground, she looked to see Timid standing, staring at the sky. _She's using her stone to build a wall in the sky. But it won't work. Some are already through and she can't block all of it._

The girl blinked again, as a black barrier deflected the starbolts of those who were already inside. Standing a short distance away was Rage, and she was furious at the intruders. Blasts of black energy met and matched the orange-skinned foes, knocking them backwards. Eight had penetrated the portal before Timid had placed her barrier of stone over it, but against the dark part of her mind they stood no chance. Black streaks of lightning blasted from the four-eyed emoticlone as she poured forth her fury at the orange-skinned Tamaranians.

Brave joined the battle, kicking one male Tamaranian in the groin. She followed up with a kick to the stomach. The poor guy was in no condition to fight after that. The green-clad emoticlone immediately chose another opponent.

Eventually, between Rage and Brave, the orange-skinned aliens were driven back against the stone wall which briefly flickered, allowing them to be pushed out.

"Ego animus per manum meam porta claude; Nego aditus omnes renes mei;Sit Scriptorium obsignari." The words were chanted by Knowledge.

Raven sensed the portal close, and watched as Timid let her barrier of stone fade. Rage gave her a quick glance, and then disappeared. _By my hand let the portal be sealed; I deny all access to my inner being; let the portal be closed._ She let the words of the spell Knowledge had cast pass through her mind, still lying unmoving on the ground. _Aeopie. _She thought, turning to look at the girl. She was alive, but not moving.

Happiness and Knowledge sat down beside her and wrapped their arms around the girl to make her comfortable. Soon she had a yellow cloak for a pillow, and a pink one for a blanket.

"I doubt they can send their thoughts across dimensions." Knowledge calmly spoke, though her eyes showed some degree of worry. "And I'm pretty sure they can't cross dimensions themselves. They're telepaths only. To them it will appear as if the girl died."

"Will she be okay?" Raven asked, struggling to sit up.

"I don't know. I think so. They commanded her telepathically, but she's of their race. I think given enough time she can shake it off." The yellow-clad emoticlone looked at the unmoving girl. "At least I hope that's the case." She turned to look at Happy. "Stay beside her and keep positive thoughts in your mind. She will sense that and it'll help her."

Happy nodded, and sat beside the girl holding her hand.

* * *

Raven watched Aeopie, holding one hand while Happy held the other. Hours passed and nothing changed. Then, slowly, she started to sense emotions from the girl once again. Mostly fear and loneliness. She laid down on the ground and wrapped her arms around the girl. Happy followed suit, and whispered silly jokes in her ear. The sort of ones Beast Boy might've come up with.

* * *

Hours more passed, and the fear and loneliness passed. Eventually the girl opened her eyes and looked around. Seeing several Raven look-a-likes around her she frowned, puzzled. Her nose wrinkled as she sniffed the air. Then she looked down at the grass, drooling.

"Don't eat the grass." Raven warned her.

"What happened?" The girl asked. "Where am I and how did we get away from my people?" She looked around. "Where's Beast Boy?"

"This is Nevermore." Knowledge spoke from several feet away. "Think of it as another dimension that exists inside of Raven's head. Your people might be telepathic, but they don't have any skill for crossing dimensions. When you came in here you would've just vanished from their senses."

"Oh." Aeopie still looked confused. "So they can't come here, or reach me here?" She asked.

"Right." Raven told her. "As for those people who look like me, they're different aspect of my emotions. There's Happy, Knowledge, and Brave." She pointed at them. "And there're others around somewhere."

"We're safe here?" The girl asked again, as if not believing it. To her, her people were all powerful.

"We are." Knowledge spoke again to reassure her.

"Where's Beast Boy?"

There was a long pause before anyone spoke. "He's pretty tough." Raven said, unable to suppress a tiny frown. "I'm sure he's okay. Remember, he's immune to your telepathic powers, and he once captured a Gordanian cruiser by tossing two hundred of the aliens off it. And they're pretty strong." A tiny tickle in her mind told her the girl was trying to read her mind. Wondering what she should do, she eventually dropped the shield she'd created and let the telepath see everything that'd happened.

Aeopie nodded. "He's strong." She agreed, trying to put on a brave front. She failed as her lips turned down in a frown. "How long do we stay here before we go looking for him?"

"I don't know." Raven admitted.

"If they believe I'm dead they've probably already left."

"You will stay here and let Knowledge and Happy take care of you." The violet-eyed girl decided. "I'll go and look."

The telepath nodded. "They won't be looking for you, just me."

"My emoticlone can see everything I do, so they will be able to tell you what's going on."

* * *

Raven walked among the Tamaranians who were shattered in mind if not in body. Believing they'd killed a child, guilt was consuming them. It alleviated a little bit when she reassured them that hadn't been the case, but still only a little bit.

The front of the tower was coated in mud, and the land around it was devastated. One Tamaranian managed to remain coherent long enough to speak of a massive wind that rose from the ground, hiding the shape shifter from them. Another finally told her they'd seen a green-skinned form rise from the ground and chased a fleeing ship. Starfire's people weren't stupid, and knew only one thing could've caused what happened. Who'd controlled them was obvious, and it must've been them in the vessel. Just as only one person would've given chase.

Straining, the violet-eyed girl teleported herself into orbit onto one of the scout ships. Ordering the crew to leave she set course for the Talynian home world. She wasn't worried Beast Boy might get hurt. She'd seen what damage he'd done and how he'd evaded two hundred Tamaranians. Immune to their telepathic power that race couldn't match him. But what might he do in vengeance? She chew her lower lip and worried.

* * *

Beast Boy turned in the sky, wondering where Raven and Aeopie were. In the distance he saw a blaze of fire erupt into the sky where he'd spent the last week living in bliss with the ones he loved. Below him the ship took to the air and the Tamaranians blinked in confusion as they were no longer controlled. Beast Boy knew what that meant. They'd accomplished their goal. Aeopie, and probably Raven, were dead. He close his eyes and watched the ship race into the sky too fast to follow. But that was okay. He knew where their world was, and he rose through the air, tracing the path the alien vessel had taken.

As he closed the distance to their world the shape shifter wondered if the telepathic aliens knew what they'd done. Raven and Aeopie were dead. They would pay for that. But the connection between Earth and Tamaran had been tainted and probably destroyed as well. Then there were was the fact that this was a day of celebration for the Starfire's people. The day they would announce that their race would be reborn, and their people were no longer sterile. But on this day they'd done what was to them the most unforgivable of acts; they'd killed a child. It wouldn't matter that they'd been forced by the Talynians. To them that would only be making excuses, and the guilt would consume them. How that would affect their race was yet to be seen, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Beast Boy frowned. He considered it likely that many of the warrior race wouldn't be able to handle what they'd done. Some would die by their own hand. And guilt, instead of joy and hope, would be passed onto their children. The Talynians might have killed another race. They would pay for that too.

Before him their world appeared in the distance, and he felt the intense pain that told him they were trying to command him. Compared to the hole in his heart it was nothing, and he let the beast rise. Pure rage flowed out through the Talynians touching his mind, and they ceased their attempts to control him. It saddened him, for the beast was more than just rage, but for now that was all it could feel. The world approached, and the shape shifter hurled down through its atmosphere.

It was beautiful. A garden world long nurtured by a race that knew how to merge technology and nature. By his hand it would soon be a dead world that would be as feared as the race that now inhabited it. A place no sane person would come to. Any ship that touched it wouldn't be destroyed by its own people when it reached home, for any ship that touched it would never see home again. He would see to it.

"Who're you?" An old woman asked as he landed on the edge of a small city.

"What does that matter?" He replied, looking around.

"Why have you come here?" Her eyes glowed orange, and he felt a pressure in his mind. He ignored it.

"To kill this world." The answer was unmistakably simple.

"Why? We only upheld the law of our people. You interfered and one of you paid the price. But the law is absolute." A sad, worried, expression flickered across her face for a second.

"You took from me the ones I loved. And you may have condemned another race to death. That's reason enough." The shape shifter's eyes weren't on her. Instead he sampled the DNA of the organisms living in the soil beneath his feet. There was nothing suitable, but that was okay. If he didn't find anything he would just use one of the forms he already knew. Slowly he walked along the ground, touching and sampling everything.

"How did we condemn another race to death?"

He explained the situation of the Tamaranians and saw her winch in agony.

"We did not know. Those we sent only saw them as powerful warriors to accomplish their task. To probe too deeply in the mind of another is forbidden, and they tried to do the least harm by not subjecting them to that humiliation." The woman's face was no longer calm as she tried to deal with what her people had once again done.

"It's the last time you will kill another people. You won't suffer long." Beast Boy examined the DNA of another microorganism and found it unsuitable.

"What're you doing?"

"Examining the DNA of your world."

"Why?"

"To kill this world." Beast Boy gave the simple answer again.

"We're without weapons, but we can command others to aid us." She warned.

"So?" He peered around. "None of the microorganisms of this world are suitable for what I have in mind." He mused aloud. "Guess one from Tamaran will have to do."

"How will you kill us?"

"I will poison your world from the heights of its atmosphere to the depths of its oceans. It's really very simple. I'll just use an existing microorganism and change it a little. Nothing too drastic. I'll just ensure it will survive and spread across your world. Soon it will be the only thing alive. I suspect the algae from Tamaran will do fine. I'll just change it to generate the Joker's blood. It will be resistant to every toxin and pesticide you throw at it. Anything that touches it will die."

The woman's face went pale. "It was an accident." She insisted.

The pain in his mind started again, but once more the beast chased it away. When it did so he saw pain flicker across the woman's face. "No. It wasn't an accident. You deliberately set out to kill a nine-year old kid. And you used others to do the dirty work for you. It was no accident."

Several hundred of the frail Talynians suddenly rushed from several buildings. It came as no surprise, and the poor weapons they carried offered no threat. There appeared more to be tools reworked to act as weapons. A few starbolts scattered the makeshift army. Strange as it may seem, he doubted they were even trying to kill him. Just chase him away.

"Are you Tamaranian." The woman asked, still walking along side him.

"No. It's just a useful shape. Able to travel through space and all that."

"Oh. So you can choose what species you wish to be?"

"Yes."

"We can't touch your mind. That's probably why."

Her tone was sad, and he turned to look at her.

"If there were more people like you, we would be able to talk to other worlds." She explained, seeing his expression. "As it is we avoid others least we give in to the temptation to play god. We're only human after all."

The words made the shape shifter pause. In his mind he saw a frail form lying in a brig. Back then he'd thought he'd killed Aeopie. He frowned. "That's probably wise." Beast Boy admitted. The loneliness of the woman's tone echoed in his mind. "Your customs of killing children are barbaric." He added.

"It is." She admitted. "But if there's no deterrent then the law becomes meaningless. Even our children know the law before they can walk. And we were so afraid we would repeat the mistakes of the past, yet now we've done just that. It's just, a life for a life, a world for a world."

The shape shifter frowned. She seemed very accepting of her people's fate. "I would rather no one have died, and no world perish." Beast Boy simply stated.

She nodded. "That was our wish too. But the law was broken, so we've killed many times in the past where we might've used prisons. And now we might've condemned another race to death. It's unforgivable."

He took the form of a falcon and flew above the small city. Peering down he saw people going about their lives. Men and woman, as well as children. The last made him pause, and the part of his mind that'd been so focused on vengeance lost its hold. With regret he could kill a killer and live. But if he killed children he himself would die. He dropped down beside the woman again.

"I'm not like you." He admitted. "I could never kill a child."

"All the children we've killed in the past weren't like Aeopie." The woman said. "As I said. We're merely human. And some of us are created flawed. Every so often one of us is borned who has no ability to feel remorse or guilt. Still, we allow them to live their lives. But eventually they always try to break the law. We give them a chance, and they reject it. We end their threat."

"Psychopaths?" Beast Boy asked. "But Aeopie wasn't one."

"No. She was taken against her will, and forced to break the law. We were divided on what to do. But after twenty thousand years we let what had become our nature take its course. In my opinion that was wrong. We should've rescued her, but to many of us letting an exception to the law exist would've been too much."

The shape shifter frowned. "All the ones of the past were psychopaths?" He asked. "You're sure."

"We could see their thoughts, and their utter lack of compassion and remorse. We're sure."

That made him feel a little bit better about allowing them to live. It wasn't innocent children they were killing, but those that lacked the spark that defined what it meant to be human. He would've preferred they used prisons, but it alleviated his need to kill them. At least a tiny bit. "Change the law so that children like Aeopie are rescued and not killed." He offered. "And I will depart without harming your world."

"Gladly." The woman replied with a sad smile, looking tired. "That would compel us to change the law to allow for such exceptions, which is something I wanted from the start."

Beast Boy frowned. That would mean no more innocents like Aeopie fearing for their lives. But it wouldn't bring her or Raven back. Nor would it help Starfire's people. Still the source of the problem was fixed, and he was no killer of children. Some of the ones he'd seen might've even been Aeopie's friends; she might've laughed and played games with them. He sighed.

The form of a Raven darkened the city, and the form of a violet-eyed girl took form in front of him. She looked around. "Glad I got here before you did anything rash." She intoned. There was the sense of minds trying to probe hers, but her black magic prevented the attempt. "Trust me. It would be best if you stayed out of my mind." She informed the woman standing next to the shape shifter.

"Raven" Beast Boy stared.

She stepped forward and pulled him into a deep kiss. "I'm okay." She reassured him.

"And Aeopie?"

"Safe. They might be telepaths, but it seems a simple hop across dimensions is enough to escape them."

He close his eyes in relief. Then he pulled her close for another kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her, needing to make sure she was safe.

"Then my granddaughter is okay?" The woman asked, her eyes glowing a bright orange that exceeded anything they'd ever seen before. That the woman was overjoyed was clear.

"Granddaughter?" Beast Boy asked.

The woman nodded. "My daughter and I tried to get them to amend the law for such incidences, only to fail. Our culture is tens of thousands of years old and does not swiftly change. When we failed my daughter collapsed, seeking to end her own life. Knowing Aeopie is safe will help her to heal. Is she?"

"She's safe." The shape shifter replied. "Will your people be trying to kill her again?"

"No. I've already sent the threat you made to my people. It will take time, but the law will change." Tears of both joy and sadness poured down the woman's face. "I rejoice that she lives, and that now my daughter will no longer seek to die. But it's not yet time for her to come home. The law will change, and then it will be safe for her. Then I will be able to hold her once again."

"How're the Tamaranians doing?" Beast Boy asked Raven.

"Not well. They're incoherent with grief and guilt." She frowned.

The shape shifter turned to the woman, Aeopie's grandmother. "Can your people create an illusion. To make them forget the event would probably be impossible. But create in their minds the idea that they resisted. That they were ordered to kill, but that each time they threw a starbolt they resisted enough to make it miss. That we're alive would reinforce that view since nothing could hope to escape four hundred Tamaranian soldiers."

"We can, and we will. Though it would be best to hurry before they communicate with their home world." The woman smiled. Not only was her granddaughter alive, but they might avoid causing the death of another race.

* * *

They celebrated. The most feared race in the universe had tried to bend them to their will, and they'd resisted. It would be a proud legacy to pass on to their children. Not the one of defeat by the Gordanians, but one of triumph. Not that any one of them would dare test that fearsome race again, but they could claim an accomplishment no other could.

The caters had restocked the ruined food and they ate and talked. Cuisine that didn't move was totally alien to them; some loved it while some hated it, but everyone tried something. Especially a small form in a pink cloak that walked unnoticed among them, grabbing cupcake after cupcake. Behind dark sunglasses, shaded by a hood, her eyes glowed a bright orange. Her friends were okay, as well as her mother and grandmother. One day she might even be able to return home.

Starfire stood above the crowd to give another speech that wasn't interrupted, cementing the ties between two people. Tamaran would no longer stand alone. Now friends would aid them in the rebuilding of their world. Hope filled her people, and at the end of the speech few had their feet on the ground. Rather, unable to restrain their unbridled joy, they were floating all over the place.

"So, umm. Where do we sleep tonight?" Beast Boy wondered, with his eyes not moving from a small pink-clad form that moved through the crowd.

"Hmm. Don't really care so long as they got a shower." Raven grinned, her arm wrapped around his. Her empathic senses were on the same small figure.

_That one was good. _An excited voice echoed in the violet-eyed girl's mind. _Mmmm, but this one is better... Oh, that one looks too cute to eat ... _Raven smiled, hoping the little girl didn't leave too soon.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	13. Chapter 13

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to comments:_

_Given the Tamaranians are so durable and strong, in this story I've assumed they don't have doctors. That has implications other than just fixing wounds._

_With Raven's upbringing, expecting to die early and all that, I doubt she knows much about birth control._

_Beast Boy didn't defeat the Tamaranians arrayed against him. He created a smokescreen of sorts to hide himself. Then when Aeopie entered Nevermore the aliens left thinking she was dead._

_I don't think the Presence will be making an appearance in this story. Enough powerful forces already. If they knew about it I'm pretty sure the Gordanians would want to control Beast Boy - the power to destroy a world without weapons. Much like Aeopie's people._

_The Tamaranians would know the limits of their power, and I imagine the commands to them would be pretty much: "Kill the girl and the woman trying to protect her. Harm no one else." And "Kill the one trying to destroy our ship. Harm no one else." Still a risk of someone else getting hurt, but Aeopie's people are telepaths and would've known if anyone else was in danger._

_They had reason to be arrogant, believing they could command anyone at will. But as a whole I think they would've been more scared than anything else, and perhaps sad._

_More talk in this chapter about children and who's pregnant by who._

_Time: The next day._

* * *

_**Calm Before the Storm,... Baby Talk,... A Visitor,...**_

Once again her arms and legs had somehow managed to wrap around him in her sleep. Not that he was going to complain. Beast Boy snuggled down beneath the covers, intensely aware of her pressed against his back, and looked around. Apartments were rare in Jump City. Between the silver minion and the gangs quite a few places had been badly damaged. Those that were still okay to live in had been filled by people immigrating from places where things were worse. That meant they'd ended up back at Titan's Tower.

_Probably for the best. _The shape shifter mused. _There's always a chance some villain will choose to attack a superhero on her own._ Still, he was going to miss that apartment, and the memories he had of it. Then there was the fact that technically he wasn't a Titan, and was only there as Raven's boyfriend. It made being at the Tower feel strange. _However it doesn't matter. _Beast Boy decided. _Any place is good so long as Raven and Aeopie are there._

His eyes turned to look at the one spot of color in a place dominated by shades of dark; a colossal mountain of bright orange blankets piled on the immense chair they'd bought for the young telepath. They'd tried to buy her a bed, but she'd gone directly to the chair section of the store. _Is it just my eyes, or are those blankets actually glowing. _Beast Boy wondered. It was certainly a sight he'd never expected to see in Raven's room. The faint sound of snoring, along with a slow but steady heart beat, told him the young girl was quite comfortable with her new sleeping arrangements. _Which is the only thing that really matters. _He mused.

One of the arms that held him possessively slid down lower and he gasped. The gasp became a moan, and a lustful voice whispered in his ear.

"Shower before she wakes up?" Raven asked in a sultry tone that said she already knew the answer.

"Mmmm, yes." He managed to get out. With a cautious glance at the orange pile of bedding, he grabbed the violet-haired girl by the waist, tossed her over a shoulder, and bolted for the adjacent washroom.

She nearly let out a startled yelp that would've definitely woken the sleeping girl. Giggling instead, she let the emotions of the excited shape shifter mingle with her own, adding to her own desire.

* * *

"If we told her it was your room she might be willing to sleep there." Raven said, looking at the mountain of orange between her bed and the door..

"It's not my room anymore. I'm not a Titan remember." .

"Just a technicality." The violet-eyed girl replied. "No one will dare say it isn't your room. And we can always say she's a guest and needs a place to sleep."

"I suppose. It's pretty close and it's secure."

"This is better." A sleepy voice came from the small mountain of bedding.

"It would be your own place. You could keep stuff there." Raven told her.

"I'll take that part of the deal." Aeopie replied, struggling to free herself from the mass of blankets. "But I'm sleeping here."

"All or nothing." The half demon bargained.

"Then I'll stay here." A leg clad in orange pajamas managed to force its way out from the blankets.

"You'll have your own dresser to put your clothes in."

"I don't have that many." The pile heaved a little, and the leg was joined by an arm.

"We can buy you more if you had a place to put them."

"I got to hide them with a cloak and sunglasses anyway. What's the point?" The girl managed to free herself, and sat panting on the floor.

"True." Raven sighed. _I'll just have to get used to wearing sunglasses in my own room. _She mused with a small smile.

_You should paint your whole room orange. _A voice not her own echoed in her mind.

_Not in a million years. _The violet-eyed girl replied, holding the words in her thoughts for a second.

_Orange carpet then? _Came the serious sounding reply.

_No!_

_Orange bookcases_?

_No!_

_Orange curtains for the windows?_

_No!_

_Orange ceiling?_

_No!_

_Orange ..._

_No! _She projected the words at the girl before she could make her next suggestion. Looking at the orange-eyed telepath she found the girl grinning. She'd been just joking with her. Raven found herself grinning in reply. With a small sigh of pure contentment she sank back in the arms holding her. This was a really good way to wake up.

"So. How was the shower this morning?" The girl asked, a hint of mischievousness in her voice.

"Quite good." Raven intoned impassively. "It's nice to be clean." She leaned towards the girl and sniffed. "Speaking of which." She pointed towards the washroom.

Aeopie gulped. "I washed just two days ago." She said, no longer finding the situation funny.

Raven frowned, her arm still pointing.

"Chocolate covered waffles?" The girl tried to bargain. A shower without complain for her favorite treat.

"Don't know what ingredients the kitchen has." Beast Boy replied from behind the violet-eyed girl. His eyes were closed with a small grin on his face. _This is a really nice way to wake up. _He mused contentedly. "Oh. And technically I don't live here, so I would need permission to cook." He added with a mischievous glint in his own eyes.

"WHAT!" The orange-eyed girl cried. "If you don't cook who will?" She looked fearfully at Raven. The empath had tried to make pancakes for her once and ... The small form shuddered in horror.

"Starfire is always trying to get people try her cooking." The shape shifter pointed out. The girl's mouth opened and closed without words coming out. A small tingle in the back of his skull told him the telepath had tried to say something without using her voice. _But she only tried to speak, not force me to do anything. _Beast Boy noted with relief. After yesterday he knew the difference. When one of her people tried to command him it hurt.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I know you didn't try to make me do anything." Beast Boy reassured her. "Take a shower and we'll go down to the kitchen. If they got the ingredients then you can have the waffles."

"Okay." The grinning girl rose and scurried to the washroom.

"We need more clothes for her." Raven mused. "And a place to keep them."

"Can always take her shopping later." The shape shifter answered, studying the girl's ears. They looked so interesting.

"Can we afford..." She gasped as he leaned close and nibbled on her ear.

"We can. Money isn't a problem." Beast Boy replied a few minutes later. "I donated ten million to Starfire's people yesterday. But that still leaves around thirteen million. And there's plenty more where that came from."

Raven's eyes went wide. "Ten million!" She gulped, too afraid to ask if the shape shifter had robbed a few banks during his absence.

After Aeopie finished one of the quickest showers in history they headed down to the kitchen.

* * *

"Glorious morning." Starfire greeted them with a wide smile. "I'm cooking breakfast for friend Robin. Would you like some?" Used to the others saying no, her eyes focused on Aeopie.

Gulping, the girl stepped behind Beast Boy and clutched at his hand.

_Help! _Raven heard the girl's plea projected into her mind. _Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be out of the hospital in a few days. Maybe. _She let a hint of humor infuse the words so the frightened girl would know she was just kidding.

"Will you be staying here now?" The orange-skinned alien asked hopefully.

"Not sure." Raven replied. "There isn't a single empty apartment in the city, so we might have too."

"It would be good for us all to be together again." Starfire said, nearly pleading.

Raven smiled a little. "We're here for a while anyway. It'll be months, if not years before things get back to normal."

"Years." Beast Boy sighed. "It takes that long to build large buildings, and some of the power plants in the other cities were destroyed. So years."

"Goodie." Starfire bounced off the ground. "To celebrate I will cook us all breakfast."

"Umm." Raven gulped. "Actually I think Beast Boy is going to cook Aeopie's favorite meal. So we'll have to skip."

"Oh." The alien's feet hit the ground again.

"By the way." Raven blushed as a worried expression crossed her face. "Are you one of the five thousand who got pregnant?"

"Sadly no." Starfire replied with her feet now solidly on the ground. "For all that we may look the same we're different. Any children I have will not be friend Robin's." A small shudder of sorrow ran through her body. "Yet there are only seven thousand of us female Tamaranians to rebuilt our race, and I so wish to have children."

The violet-eyed girl felt a rush of relief flood her body even as she felt pity for the poor girl.

"Friend Beast Boy is the only human who might get one of us pregnant." Starfire added. "If he were to have sex with us in the form of a Tamaranian."

The rush of relief vanished as Raven turned to face the shape shifter.

"Don't worry." He reassured her. "I stuck to my human form. And I doubt it would work quite like that anyway. The green color when I change form means the DNA of whatever shape I'm in isn't quite pure. It would make things different enough to prevent kids."

_Whew! _The relieved woman sighed to herself.

"So no babies for me to play with?" Aeopie suddenly asked.

Both Raven and Beast Boy jumped as they remembered the girl's presence, with both wondering how appropriate the conversation was for her ears.

"Sadly no." Starfire said. "Unless friend Beast Boy and friend Raven have some."

Aeopie turned expectantly towards the two of them.

"Not for a few years yet." Raven told her. Her lips turned down in a frown as she became lost in thought.

"Oh."

"Hrm. Starfire?" Beast Boy blushed as he spoke.

"Yes friend Beast Boy." The girl turned to look at him.

"I don't know what sort of customs you have on Tamaran. But if you want to get pregnant, don't just go sleeping with someone other than Robin. That would cause a lot of problems." The shape shifter gulped, his once green face now beet red. "Talk to him first. I'm sure he wouldn't mind too much if you decided to have a child, but there're ways of getting pregnant other than having sex." He was now blushing so badly that even his neck was now changing color.

"Other ways?" Starfire asked, clearly confused.

"There are?" Raven asked, also looking puzzled.

"Some times women can't get pregnant normally." Aeopie said, clearly more knowledgeable than either women. "So doctors can help."

"They can?" Starfire asked hopefully with her feet leaving the ground again.

Beast Boy sighed, and clamped his hand around the telepath's mouth before she could speak again. "Talk it over with Robin. He knows how much your people love children, and he'll understand. Just make sure it's not sex with another Tamaranian you're suggesting."

"I will." She flew out the door to do just that.

"There are?" Raven asked?

"There are." The shape shifter replied. He looked down at Aeopie. "Your people are pretty frail so I guess you got doctors?"

The girl nodded. "As far back as we can remember. When one feels pain we all feel pain, so we looked for ways to fix it."

"Thought so. Didn't you have doctors on Azarath?" He turned to look at Raven.

"I've never been to one." She explained. "I could always fix anything that was wrong with a healing trance. The same when I had to heal someone."

"Glad I used ..." He paused, not willing to use the word condoms in front of the nine-year old. _I'm really glad Jenny taught me all about that and being careful._ He gulped.

"I'm half demon." Raven continued, speaking softly with a worried expression. "I wonder if I can get pregnant? I've never really thought about it before. Not seriously. With Trigon gone I just sort of assumed I would one day, but I wasn't ready so I just forgot about it. However I spent months with ..." She gulped, and blushed, as she looked at the shape shifter. "I didn't get pregnant." She added.

Beast Boy frowned. He had no answer to that. _Trigon must've used magic to conceive her. _He thought, reaching out to hold her. _So only half her DNA is human. The chances she could have a baby is practically zero._ "We'll find out." He finally replied in a soft voice. "My DNA has been altered so perhaps you can while I can't." He shrugged with his arms still around her, not knowing what else to say.

Raven smiled and pushed the thought to one side. "Things will work out." She declared confidently. "And if not then I've still got more than I ever expected to have. The world won't die at my hands, and I got a life I love. Given how much I have, to be sad and ruin it would be stupid." She pulled Aeopie close. "We better get the chef to cook something before Starfire gets back." She declared.

The telepath frantically nodded in agreement. "Hurry." She said desperately, looking at Beast Boy with her eyes a bright orange.

To the girl's sorrow the kitchen had no chocolate for chocolate covered waffles. Having to make do with cinnamon and strawberry, she settled down to eat without complaint.

Beast Boy and Raven ate too, with occasional glances at each other and the girl. Having talked to the girl's grandmother they knew it was nearly impossible for her to have too many sweets. Talyn was practically a paradise where there was always something to eat. As such, Aeopie's people had never developed the ability to store any large amounts of energy as fat; the girl could never be overweight. Fruits had played a large role in their diet in the past, but so long as she had enough sugar even a single orange a day would be sufficient for the small girl. Of course they would have to make sure she had a source of protein, but that was about it. Having what the girl had already told them confirmed was a great burden off their shoulders. They smiled as the girl happily hummed as she ate.

The violet-eyed girl's hand briefly rested on her belly, but she didn't feel sorrow. As she'd said, she already had more than she'd ever hoped to have. Watching Aeopie she smiled. And she would have kids, they just might not be born of her." _Good? _She let the thought float in her mind.

_Very. _Came the happy reply.

_Convenient he doesn't know you're chewing and using telepathy at the same time._

_Very_. There was a pause._ Is it wrong to do that?_

_No. _She smiled. _But you better not tell him. He might think it's the same as talking and chewing._

_True. I better not. _The girl raised her head and beamed a smile at her.

Raven felt a warm glow throughout her body as she beamed a smile back at the girl.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." The violet-eyed girl contentedly chanted. However well her emotions were behaving meditation, or so Knowledge had warned, was important. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She recited again. Though she was in the shade the bright noon sun beat down, warming the air. Around her there were squeals of giddy excitement that once she would've thought impossible to bear. Now they aided her concentration, telling her all was okay with the world.

"Again." Panted the girl as she took the small stick the green puppy had brought her.

"Arf. Arf" Came the reply, and the stick went flying through the air.

They both chased after it. The girl scampering as fast as she could with the dog keeping pace just a foot ahead of her. He grabbed the stick just a second before she did, causing her to break down and giggle.

Beast Boy let her grab the stick from his mouth. Why she squealed and giggled so much during the game that he found so humiliating he still had no idea. "Enough." He said, returning to his human form.

"Once more."

"Sit in the shade with Raven. You're tired and sweating. Drink something."

"But."

"Later on." He promised. "I don't want you dropping from heat exhaustion. You're a bit heavier on earth than you would be at home and you need to rest more."

Aeopie gave a sigh that showed she was exercising great patience, and marched over to sit beside Raven. Crossing her legs she tried to close her eyes and chant too.

Beast Boy sat in the sun and focused on his body. A second later he was a Tamaranian. _Nice and strong, and can fly in space, but can be improved. _He thought, wondering how to make it better. His hands took on the claws of Killer Croc while his skin thickened. He studied the new shape. _Just as fast, with all the original abilities, plus a hide that's nearly four times as thick. Will it be able to withstand four times the damage? _He flexed his arms and pinched at the skin, thinking of _boundless confidence_ to activate the form's abilities. _No. _He finally decided. _But it's still a lot stronger. Maybe three times as much damage. And the claws will help in close range combat when I can't use starbolts. They're deadly. Can I alter the size? What's a form that's humanoid, yet large. Great Ape? The Beast. _The shape shifter studied his hand for a long time, wondering if it was possible. Closing his eyes he concentrated on his body once more. Where once he'd been six feet he was now over eight. This form could certainly take a lot more damage, and deal a lot a more out. However, being larger also meant he was easier to hit.

He stretch and moved around in the new form, noticing Aeopie had given up trying to meditate and was watching him. He gave her a small smile and finished analysing the shape. Some part of him told him trying to push it any further with more changes would be dangerous, so he analyzed the DNA, marking it as a new shape and returned to being human. He was sweating like mad and was exhausted. _I'll call it Tamaranian version two._ He decided wearily.

Sitting in the shade he wondered what to do to keep the girl from running around on a day that was too hot in gravity that was a third too high for her. "Checkers?" He finally asked, drinking a can of soda.

"Okay." Aeopie nodded excitedly.

Turning into a humming bird he flew down and entered Raven's open window. In seconds he was back with the tiny checker game.

Silently they played three quick games, all of which ended with his brutal defeat at the hands of the ruthless girl. Beside them Raven chanted with a slight smile on her lips.

To make the game a bit more fun the shape shifter started shifting into the form of a bird at random when making his move. It gave him practice changing forms, and it made the girl squeal with glee. During one move he looked at the sky and froze.

"Cloaked ship." He spoke in a tone that ended Raven's meditations immediately.

Frowning, she peered at the upward wishing she had the eyesight of a bird.

"Smaller, but same shape as the ones the Talyn use." He told her. "Get her to Nevermore."

She nodded and grabbed the girl, teleporting them both down to her room.

"Wait." Aeopie yelled just as she was sucked into a vortex that lead to a different dimension.

Raven teleported back to the roof, wondering whether to call the others. She decided against it; they could be manipulated to fight against them. Concentrating, she formed a shield around her mind. "Where?" She asked impatiently, scanning the sky.

Beast Boy pointed. "Just twenty feet ahead on the roof." He shrugged. "Not sure what they're planning, but the ship is smaller so there're probably fewer of them." He shifted into his new Tamaranian version two form.

She nodded. "So they might not be here to fight."

The shape shifter nodded in agreement just as the ship uncloaked. They both relaxed. The telepathic aliens wouldn't have shown themselves if they planned to fight. Still, he remained in the powerful form just in case.

The figure that stepped from the small craft was female, and obviously not well. That to Beast Boy meant only one thing; the woman now standing before him was Aeopie's mother. The look on her face expressed panic, and she appeared to be near tears. He reverted to his human form.

"She's okay." He reassured the woman. "We didn't know who was on the ship so we hide her. She'll be here in a few seconds." When Raven looked at him he simply replied. "It's her mother."

"Oh." A look of panic crossed her face. "I'll get her."

"I'd just started talking to her and she disappeared." The woman whispered, obviously not up to handling the earth's gravity for long.

Beast Boy nodded. To her the disappearance must've been like the girl had died. "She's okay." He reassured her, pointing to a chair in the shade where Aeopie had been sitting just moments before. "It must be hard for you to stand. Sit down." Frowning, he held out his hand as the woman stumbled. The shape shifter recalled that when she'd thought her daughter lost she'd fallen ill without the will to even live. Obviously her full health had yet to return.

As she sat her eyes lit up with a bright orange, and a second later Aeopie appeared. The girl turned and ran straight to her mother, seeking to be wrapped in her arms.

He heard no words, though he had no doubt many were being exchanged. "Is the law changed yet." He dared to ask, heart racing. The woman looked up and smiled.

"No. That will take some time, though it will change. It's against our rules to travel to other worlds, but I had to see her; I had to know she was okay." She buried her face in her daughter's hair and cried.

"You'll be punished?" Raven asked, frowning.

The woman shrugged. "Only one law carries any punishment of significance. So long as I return and they see I didn't abuse my power then there will be no major consequences."

"Good." The violet-haired girl sighed in relief.

"Turn into a puppy." Aeopie suddenly demanded, turning to Beast Boy. He did so, and chased the stick she threw. Seconds later she was giggling once again in her mother's arms.

"I see." The woman said, looking at him. "The atmosphere of our world, as you know, is low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide. On the ship that wasn't what nearly killed her. But by the next morning she would've been dead if she hadn't been able to sense someone nearby who cared for her. Thank you."

"Oh." The shape shifter gulped, not knowing what to say. "I'm glad she's okay." He finally added. "Really glad. When she returns home we'll miss her greatly."

"I know. And she will miss you. Much as I wish that day had arrived, it hasn't. I would ask that you care for her a while longer."

"Gladly." Raven answered for them both.

Aeopie stood and pulled on her mother's hand.

"I'm not sure they would wish for me to intrude in their home." Her mother said.

"What did she say?" Raven asked.

"I want to show her where I sleep." The girl stated. "Can I?"

"Of course."

"See. It's okay." She told her mother.

"Can you walk?" Beast Boy asked, seeing the woman struggle to stand.

"Hold still." The violet-eyed girl said, closing her eyes. A second later they vanished to reappear in her room. The woman's eyes went wide for a second, but then the look of surprise faded.

Beast Boy glanced at Raven. _She's willingly letting someone into her room. She's changed a lot."_

"Look." Aeopie spoke aloud this time. "Isn't it pretty."

Both Raven and Beast Boy blushed.

"We tried to get her to buy a real bed, but she insisted on the chair." The shape shifter explained.

"I see. When small their beds are usually round with railings. A comfortable place for a child to sleep and play." The woman explained. "She's past that age but she would've needed the comfort. Most of our children love the color orange as well. To them it's soothing. The color of her blankets is the color our eyes show when we feel affection."

"Oh." Neither Beast Boy nor Raven knew what to say to that.

"So it's okay for her to sleep like that?" Raven asked.

"For a while. She's suffered a lot of trauma. But in a few weeks a bed with more color than just orange might be best." The woman paused and smiled. "You might try to get her to sleep in a room of her own then too. I'm sure having her around is hindering certain ... um ... activities."

Raven blushed. "Your own bed, and your own room in two weeks." She told the girl.

"Hrmph." The girl frowned. "The bed is fine." She insisted.

"With your own room you could paint it any color you wanted?" Beast Boy pointed out.

"Even orange." She was obviously giving it some thought.

"I don't see why not." He looked at her mother.

"A very light shade of orange is nice for a girl her age." She agreed.

The girl spent the next several minutes going around showing her mother her clothing and the rest of her stuff.

"Where's her father?" Beast Boy asked.

The woman looked down. "He's busy working to get the law changed to allow for exceptions like Aeopie. I'm the one who failed my duty towards her by becoming unwell."

"Given how much she loves you I doubt you failed." Raven stated in a tone that booked no argument.

"What does she eat?" The woman smiled appreciatively at the violet-haired girl.

Raven teleported them down to the kitchen and pointed to a fridge. "Mostly sweets, though we insist on a piece or two of fruit a day. Protein usually comes from peanuts, or peanut butter. It's usually mixed in with something sweet."

"Good." This time the woman didn't blink an eye at the strange method of travel.

Aeopie raced to the fridge and started hauling stuff out. "Try this." She handed her mother a chocolate cupcake."

The woman looked up at Beast Boy and Raven. "I will find some way to repay you for the cost." She told them, frowning.

"Having her around is more than enough payment." Beast Boy insisted. "We can easily afford the cost. Eat and see what you think of it." He pointed at the goods the girl was placing in front of her mother.

"This is strawberry ice cream. It's really good." She pulled a tub from the fridge and looked inside. "This is a peanut butter and banana smoothie." The girl shrugged. "It's okay. It has protein and fruit so I got to eat something like it once in a while."

The young girl talked nonstop for three hours before falling asleep. Her mother looked to be on the point of collapse. Tears flowed from her eyes as she watched her daughter gently snoring in her chair.

"When you're ready I'll take you back to your ship." Raven told her. "Unless you wish to stay for a while?"

The woman shook her head. "I need to help change the law. And I'm not well enough to stay here for long. Just a few hours sitting and I'm close to collapse."

The violet-eyed girl nodded and took them to the roof. "We will protect her with our lives if need be." She assured the woman.

She nodded. "I know. I may not be able to read your minds, but I can still sense your emotions. I know she's well cared for."

Soon her craft cloaked and took off.

"Sad." Beast Boy said staring after the ship.

"At least her daughter is alive, and they will be reunited." Raven said, staring into the sky.

"That too, though it's not what I meant." The shape shifter replied. "They've made their world a paradise, but they're stuck on it. How excited they must've been when they first reached into space and found other races. New minds and different cultures to talk to; their eyes must've lit up bright with joy. Then with a thought they killed billions. Now they're trapped on one world, afraid to move least they cause such unbearable harm once again. Before them is a whole universe of incredible treasures and they can't touch them least even an accidental though causes them to shatter." He shrugged with a sigh, frowning. "I imagine it's like if I was an elephant in a china shop. Forever still, staring at all the beautiful works of art, yet never able to touch them; always afraid even an accidental step will bring it all down." His voice held pity.

"Oh." Raven continued to stare into the sky.

He turned away from the sky and gazed at the violet-eyed girl he loved. "Been thinking about it, and I'm sure we can have kids. Won't be easy though."

"Oh." She turned to look at him with her eyes shining.

"When we're ready." Beast Boy smiled and held her hand in his, still gazing at those amazing eyes.

"When we're ready." She tilted her head, smiling back with her heart racing.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	14. Chapter 14

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to comments:_

_The villains resume their activities in Jump City. Read and see how well it goes for them._

_Aeopie's people as doctors for the Tamaranians. Interesting idea. Technically, give how tough they are, they would only need doctors in a very few special cases like Starfire's where she can't get pregnant because Robin is a human. But then again, perhaps their people as a whole can use doctors._

_Speaking of going to Nevermore for privacy. Would BBxEmoticlone be cheating? Technically they're still Raven. Not something I'll write, but would it? Still, I doubt Raven would be too pleased._

_Power corrupt absolutely, but Aeopie's people have a good counter to that corruption. They can feel the pain of the people they hurt. That might be the only way to avoid such power corrupting. Raven can sense emotions so if she uses her empathic senses she might be able to refrain from becoming corrupt, and keep Beast Boy on the straight and narrow. Hopefully._

_Yeah. The only way for Beast Boy to get Raven pregnant would be to use his powers in a certain way. That might get added or not, though I'll probably describe the process he would use so she'll get a chuckle out of it._

_Time: Two days later._

* * *

_**Yikes! It's a Really Bad Day to be a Villain,... The Attempt,... Dire News,...**_

An alarm brought them out of their deep contented sleep.

"Mmmm." Aeopie struggled beneath her blankets. "What is it?" She asked with her head finally free.

"A villain." Beast Boy told her, wondering what he should do. Technically he wasn't a Titan, but fighting such criminals was in his blood and he desperately wanted to race to the scene of the crime. _But how can I leave Aeopie alone? Someone might attack the tower while I'm gone. _The shape shifter frowned.

"Stay where you are." Raven stated, looking at the small girl. "We're going to be gone for a bit, but I'll still be keeping tabs on you."

"Okay." The telepath replied without hesitation, picking up on the seriousness of the order. "Don't be gone too long." Her voice held a hint of worry.

"We'll try not to." The violet-haired woman smiled at the sleepy girl, and then, grabbing Beast Boy by the arm, she teleported them both to the commons room of the tower. "She's nine and we're only going to be gone for a short time." She told him. "And it's not like we're out of touch. I can still sense her."

"Okay." The shape shifter moved to the back of the room as the others rushed in. Starfire, he noted was absent.

"It's Adonis." Robin said, studying a display. "He's robbing a bank just a few miles away. Nineteenth Whiskey Street.

Boy Wonder, along with Cyborg and Jinx, raced for the T-car while Raven teleported her and Beast Boy to the roof.

"Guess the break from villains is over." She mused, forming a black disc beneath both their feet.

"Seems so. But then Jump City is the only place that had a break." Beast Boy pointed out. "The Joker reappeared in Gotham as soon as the silver minion were defeated." He stumbled a little as the disc rose through the air, and found his hand grabbed by the violet-eyed girl.

They followed the T-car, timing things so they would reach the scene of crime together. It slowed the two air-born heroes down a little, but it meant they would arrive and be able to fight as a group. There was little worry the villain would flee; it was like they waited around until the last moment hoping for a fight.

* * *

Below them the T-car came to a screeching halt just as the giant red-clad figure of Adonis was leaving the bank. He had several bags of cash in one hand while the other was held up to protect his head from various flying objects.

"No. I don't want to go on a date with you." A cute redhead yelled from the shattered bank window. She threw a can of soda at the robber. Slipping through his hands, it violently smashed into the metal helmet protecting his head. Exploding on impact, the cherry-flavored soda flowed down to cover the front of his face. The woman turned and started pushing change into a near-by vending machine, getting another deadly projectile.

"Jerk." A brunette screamed. "Who would want to date a creep like you?" She jumped through the window and took a can of mace from her purse. Preparing to spray the towering figure she must've realized how futile that was. Instead she threw it, striking the front of his helmet where the can burst. It seemed the battle suit wasn't air tight, and the villain let out a scream. He stumbled around and tripped over his own two feet.

"I don't swing that way." An effeminate looking man with long hair screamed, as he picked up a trash receptacle and started hitting the downed robber with it.

"Dude! I didn't know. The long hair..." The would be villain cried as his arms flailed aimlessly around in the air. Between the soda covering the front of his helmet and the mace it seemed Adonis had been rendered blind.

"Huh?" Raven said watching. "This might turned from a capture the villain mission to rescue the villain mission."

"So it would seem." Beast Boy agreed.

"Hit on me and then try hitting on my sister right in front of me." A voice came from above, causing the two heroes to look up. A trolley with a sizeable safe that must've weighed half a ton came flying out of the sixth-story window. Two identical blonds peered out, looking down. The edge of the deadly object hit the villain at around fifty miles per hour, sending him crashing back to the ground.

"Ouch." Raven commented.

Beast Boy just gulped.

"My daughter is just sixteen you pervert." The voice of an older sounder woman came from somewhere.

"But mon. He's a supervillain. It'll be cool to date him." A younger voice whined.

"Honey. He's no better than those silver minion things."

"Oh." The younger voice sounded thoughtful. "Kill the creep." She added with her tone suddenly glacial cold.

A steel door open and a heavily armored van raced out, hitting at least sixty miles per hour before it slammed into the villain who'd just managed to regain his feet. Air bags exploded inside the van, but the fortyish looking woman just peered around it and backed up. She rammed the would be bank robber again.

"At what age should we let Aeopie start dating?" Beast Boy mused. "Twenty?"

"A bit earlier than that I would think." Raven smiled. "Remember, by that time no one is going to be pushing her around."

"True. I suppose nineteen-and-a-half would be okay if it's chaperoned." The shape shifter didn't sound as if he would budge any further."

"We'll talk about it." The violet-haired girl replied with her smile widening.

_Assuming they haven't fixed that law by them. _They both thought, hoping the change would be a long time coming.

"I don't even like guys you idiot." A shrill voice drew their attention. "Can't you read moron?" A twentyish looking brunette pointed at her 'I LOVE GIRLS' t-shirt. In her other hand an extension cord sparkled. She rushed out and jammed the cord between the legs of the would be thief. A scream from inside the battle armor told them the suit wasn't too well fortified against electricity.

"Holy fu..." Raven spoke, eyes wide.

"Ouch." Beast Boy cringed. "Are those people nuts?" He paused. "No pun intended." He added.

"If we don't do something soon the only nuts he'll have left are the ones he got for brains." The girl beside him said, suddenly more serious.

"True. But I'm afraid to go down there." The shape shifter replied, watching as the woman tossing cans of soda threw perhaps the twentieth one of the battle. She was really fast with the vending machine, and had made sure the villain's helmet would need a good cleaning before he could see again. A black-haired teenage girl rushed into the fray long enough to use a spray can to paint a bulls-eye on the would be villain's behind. She withdrew as she was splattered with soda, complaining about her new shirt being ruined.

"Me too. So I'm staying up here." Raven admitted, and drew her cloak around herself as if for protection. She reached down with her dark magic, and lifted the battered villain off the ground just before the armored van could ram him a fifth time. From the sixth floor another safe came flying down, bashing the defeated villain in the head with the sharp edge of one corner. Sparks came from his groin area where the extension cord seemed to have fused itself to his suit.

The woman with the mace had in the meantime been using a second can on the downed villain. She screamed in rage as her prey was stolen from her. The can went flying and nearly hit the heroes. Beast Boy simply grabbed it from the air with one hand, and tossed it back to the ground. with enough force to cause it to explode.

The violet-eyed girl strained to lift the heavy suit and for a second was foiled by the still sparkling heavy-duty extension cord. In the bank it must've been finally pulled free from the socket, and the would be villain quickly rose in the air. At thirty feet she relaxed. For the most part the people on the ground could no longer reach the battered bank robber. A can of soda was flung upward, but it missed by several feet.

"Who would've thought that battle suit could be taken down by civilians." Raven said with her voice showing the strain of lifting the massive contraption.

"Their first shot was lucky." Beast Boy explained. "That cherry soda covered the visor on his helmet and he was left blind."

"So where do I drop him?" She wondered aloud.

"The prison?"

"It's ten miles from here. You mean I got to lug this all that way?"

"Hrm. Give me a second." He changed into the Tamaranian version two form and sent starbolts at the dangling bank robber. Enhanced by his massive size, and fueled by the pure emotion of the beast, they lashed forth like blast of lightning from the heavens. The battle suit their foe wore shattered and started to fall apart. Beast Boy was extremely careful not to further harm the unconscious form within as he sliced the heavy titanium armor from him.

"Better?" He asked a few minutes later, resuming his human form.

"Very. Thanks." She smiled at him and his heart raced.

Twenty minutes later they dropped Adonis off at the prison infirmary. He was pretty battered, and wouldn't be interested in sex for a while, but would otherwise be okay.

* * *

"That was different." Jinx mused when they returned to the tower. "I didn't bother to hit him with any hexes. I figured he was having enough bad luck already." She paused. "Seeing that makes me really glad I gave up the business. It would be embarrassing to be a villain and need rescuing like that."

"I know he tried to rob the bank but the extension cord to the privates was a bit too much." Cyborg shuddered.

"Very." Robin was pale.

"Later." Raven intoned, and teleported her and Beast Boy back to her room. Immediately she turned to check on Aeopie.

"Everything okay." The orange-eyed girl asked with a worried expression.

"Of course." The violet-haired girl knelt beside the head that was still the only thing poking out of the orange mountain. "We do stuff like that all the time."

"Oh." The small telepath blushed. "I knew that. I just ..."

"I know. But it's mostly minor villains we fight here." Raven reassured the girl. "Back to sleep." She ordered, bending down to give her a tiny hug. It was something new, but she'd learned just how much affection was vital to the girl's health. Besides, she'd found she liked hugging the telepath. Doing so calmed all her negative emotions, keeping her powers in check. It made her feel warm and happy, and very protective.

Aeopie smiled. "Okay." She started wiggling, sinking deeper into the mass of blankets.

"Wait." Beast Boy knelt beside the girl and easily pulled her free from the colossal mass. "If we're gone, and someone comes here we'll show you where to go. Okay?"

Aeopie clung to him and nodded. "Okay."

They took her down to the safe room that'd been built when Slade was leading Trigon's army in an effort to capture Raven. It was designed to withstand nearly anything, and even had mystical wards against magic. It was the safest place in the tower. Or the whole city for that matter.

"If you sense any bad guys when we're gone, or even if we're still here but busy, then come here." The shape shifter instructed the girl and showed her how to lock the door and activate the security system.

She nodded, clearly sleepy but still paying avid attention.

The alarm sounded again, and Beast Boy tossed the girl into the chamber. "Give it a practice run." He told her.

"Okay." She yawned, and turned on the security system.

"See you in a bit." Raven told the girl, giving her another small hug before the door closed. Turning, she grabbed Beast Boy by the arm once more and teleported them to the commons room.

* * *

"What is it this time?" She asked, seeing Robin and Cyborg already in front of a monitor.

"Billy Numerous." Cyborg replied. "He's hitting a construction site on Seventeenth Western Street."

They took off. Jinx entered the room and raced with Robin and Cyborg to the T-car. Raven teleported herself with Beast Boy to the roof again.

"The break from villains is definitely over." She said, creating a disc for them to ride on.

"Billy Numerous. He could be bad. Strong, tough, and there can be two hundred of him when he wants there to be." The shape shifter said, frowning as he looked back towards the tower. _She's in a safe place. _He told himself.

Raven took a worried glance back too; she had to resist a desire to turn around and check on the girl once more. _I can sense her. _The violet-eyed girl told herself. _I'll know if anything goes wrong and can get back there in minutes._ She focused, and the disc continued to follow the T-car.

They arrived at the construction site for a fifty story apartment building that when completed would have over a thousand units capable of comfortably housing two to three people each. Given the desperate need for such places efforts were being made to rush its completion. As such, there were over two thousand workers on the site busy at various tasks.

"Go away." A grizzled old man of about seventy roared down at a red-clad figure.

"No can do." A jovial voice roared back. "I need this stuff for my own little project. Going to make myself a lair." Billy Numerous looked thoughtful. "I don't suppose you want a job?" He asked.

"I already got one." The man yelled down. "Now go away."

"Sorry. I'll be taking your building now."

"You and what army?"

"I'm Billy Numerous. I'm my own army." The villain exploded into nearly two hundred different copies of himself. "Nobody outnumber Billy Numerous." One of them exclaimed.

"Really. You seemed to have missed one little fact." The grizzled old man roared back down.

"What's that?"

"There're over two thousand of us on the site. Get off now. No one stops my workers when I got a schedule to keep."

"I'm super strong. Each of my clones is worth ten of your men." The confident villain called back with his voice still sounding good-natured.

"There's one other little detail you've seemed to have missed." The man who seemed to be manager of the site declared, running out of patience.

"What's that?" Billy Numerous' exuberant voice called up.

"We got the high ground." The grizzled old man easily lifted a fifty pound box of twelve-inch nails and emptied it over the ground. Suddenly a hundred and fifty lethal projectiles with diamond points lashed downward, hitting a hundred and ten miles per hour before they impaled everything below them.

"Holy cow, that's dangerous." A number of clones exclaimed, leaping away from the onslaught. Some were impaled, though none fatally so. They vanished as they were absorbed by the rest.

"It seems to be a bad day to be a villain in this city." Raven noted, sending her disc flashing away from the deadly hail of miniature diamond-tipped spears.

"I would say." Beast Boy gulped. "I wonder what would happen if some of his clones died."

"Rather not find out." The girl replied. Once again she prepared to send the disc down to start fighting the numerous foes below. Face going white, she flung it back once again.

Having seen what their leader had done, the construction workers were hefting large boxes of nails and spikes over the sides of the building. The ground below was saturated with wave after wave of the life-threatening hail. Many of the Billy Numerous clones disappeared. Thankfully, being super strong and tough, none seemed to be dying. However, at a certain point their injuries caused them to be reabsorbed by the others. A large building required a massive amount of construction materials, and in all over three million of the deadly projectiles were used to devastating affect.

"Yikes." Raven gulped, eyes wide at the devastation.

"Another mess I'm afraid to wade into." Beast Boy mused. "You know, I'm not feeling much like a hero today."

"That goes for both of us. Some of those spikes missed us by inches." The violet-eyed girl pointed down.

The shape shifter looked and saw the top ends of three nails in the disc where they'd impaled themselves. "Close." He calmly replied, not feeling at all calm.

They turned back towards the construction site. Nails weren't the only things being dropped. There were a number of cranes, and whatever they'd been lifting was now being allowed to hurtled downward at a lethal velocity. Huge metal beams weighing tons smashed down to dig craters into the ground. Packaging on huge bundles of tiles was ripped open and the slabs of ceramic weapons proved even deadlier than the nails. They caught the air, and sliced through it in every which direction, meaning no place was safe.

Raven pulled back from the site and created a shield around the two of them. Dozens of the sharp-edged, ceramic weapons shattered against it. Below they saw the other three had yet to leave the T-car. Rather the battered vehicle was following suit and pulling back from the battle scene as well. They turned to watch the fight, noting there were less than a hundred clones left. They looked shell-shocked and many were injured.

The mayhem continued as cans of paint rained down. There were fewer such projectiles, but they splattered on impact, blinding over thirty of the clones. Then, with most of their long-ranged weaponry used up, the workers took to the ground. The blind clones were handled with nail guns, and Billy Numerous' numbers fell to less than fifty.

Next large trucks able to carry tens of tons of equipment hurled into action where the ground was firm enough to allow them. Other smaller vehicles covered other areas. The vehicles were no match for the remaining clones who were super strong, but they were merely a distraction. As the villains were dealing with them, dozens of men equiped with steel bars and nail guns surrounded each of them and laid out a ruinous amount of damage.

"Less than twenty left." Raven commented.

"Nothing raining down from the top of the building now." Beast Boy commented, looking fearfully upward. "Might be safe to grab him."

"Will have to soon." The girl frowned. "He's running out of clones and if they kill the last one it's good-bye Billy Numerous."

"At least they haven't struck any of his ... hrm ... more vital parts yet." The shape shifter noted, feeling a little relieved. He looked around. "Drop the ones that're left into that bin." He pointed at a huge waste container. "Then lift them out in that."

She did so. By the time she had them all in the bin there were only five of them left. The violet-haired girl lifted the five villains in their new resting place, and flew off a short distance. Dropping the bin she prepared to pummel them until they returned to one. There was no need. All that remained when they checked was a single unconscious, and very badly wounded, Billy Numerous.

At the prison infirmary he was diagnosed with enough injuries that they sent him directly to the hospital. There were no worries about him escaping for a few days. Before he healed a little he wouldn't even be walking. In a few weeks he _might _be ready to go back to prison.

"My car." Cyborg sobbed as they landed next to the rest of the team.

Beast Boy studied the vehicle. It had several thousand small dents where a hail of diamond-tipped nails had hit it. The roof was caved in slightly where a steel beam of considerable weight must've come crashing down. All four tires were flat, and the front windshield was cracked. _Good thing that car is able to take a beating. _The shape shifter thought with a gulp.

"Now now darling. We'll fix it." Jinx comforted her boyfriend. She stood on the tip of her toes and whispered something in his ear and the cybernetic teen blushed.

Beast Boy looked the other way, pretending his didn't hear. Having checked to make sure they were okay he was about to rush back to the tower with Raven when the communicator's the team wore started beeping again.

"It better not be another villain that needs rescuing." Robin muttered.

* * *

It turned out Plasmus was roaming the city, and had started terrorizing people as he consumed several trucks carrying toxic waste. The monster wasn't faring well, and had just reverted back to his sleeping human form when the Titans arrived barely in time to rescue him. More than two hundred firefighters had fifty water hoses going, and the powerful beams of high-pressure water had ripped the poor creature to shreds, washing away the plasma that allowed it to retain its inhuman form. The now sleeping villain had been about to be badly hurt by the assault when Raven reached down to pull him to safety.

"Another villain saved." Boy wonder muttered. "I didn't sign up for this."

"Actually I'm the only one doing any work here." Raven pointed out, having been the one to pull all three of the criminals to safety.

"If this keeps up I'll be back to using my hexes against ordinary people." Jinx mused with a frown. "Can one be a hero if they only save villains instead of fighting them?" She asked.

"I'm going to have to alter my cannon so it only disorientates people." Cyborg mused with his eyes still on the disfigured T-car. To get to Plasmus he'd had to drive it with the tired flat.

"Lets get ba..." Raven froze and turned to stare at the tower. She now possessed four red eyes. "Aeopie." She simply said in a demonic tone, and then she and Beast Boy were hurling towards the building at record speed.

* * *

"What's happening?" The shape shifter asked, white-faced.

"Gordanians." Came the demonic reply.

As the disc rose slightly higher Beast Boy looked and saw a Gordanian destroyer fire its particle beam point-blank into the tower. Immediately he was in his Tamarian version two form, leaping ahead. The safe room Aeopie was in was built to withstand almost anything, but the weapon of such a ship could take out a city. He paled and rushed faster. Their only hope was that the weapon had not been fired at full power.

A second later the shape shifter saw five silver minion leaving the building; one of whom carried the young telepath who was unconscious. At least he hoped she was only unconscious. Careful not to hit the girl he sent forth starbolts, finding it very easy to summon the righteous fury they required. The robotic minions were designed to soak up damage, but they weren't designed to handle him. For one he massed nearly three times what a normal Tamaranian would, and even if emotions were the main driver of the race's power size still played a role. Then there was the fact he could feel the beast inside, and it was pure fury combined with righteous rage. The silver minion he aimed for stopped beneath the onslaught of dozens of massive bolts of pure energy thrown in the space of a few seconds; its shield were unable to cope with the sudden onslaught and it exploded.

Beast Boy tried to grab the girl from the one who carried her only to have two of the remaining foes stand between them. They sent pulses of sound at him, and he felt his bones rattle. More starbolts took care of one of them, and he started to turn on the third.

Raven appeared beside the shape shifter, having teleported the remaining distance. With eyes glowing red her power lashed forth. This time there was no fear of it running out of control as she focused only on the foe who stood between her and Aeopie. The material of the silver minion tried to resist her power so she cheated. The powerful half demon didn't try to pound the durable machine into submission; instead she simply grabbed a large two ton boulder and teleported with it. She appeared inches from the cybernetic contraption with the massive object she'd carried with her now inside it. Just as quickly she moved away and raised a shield as a massive explosion left nothing of her opponent standing. _If I'd thought of this back when they first appeared ... _She pushed the thought aside.

The remaining two silver minion were almost inside the ship. One of them turned to delay the enraged protectors of the girl. It lasted all of two seconds as the shape shifter unleashed more starbolts at it. However it'd served its purpose. The young telepath was now in the rapidly ascending ship.

Raven reached out and pulled Beast Boy close to her. Then she strained as she carried them to the vessel that was already several miles away. They appeared on the bridge.

"Stop!" A large blue reptilian figure ordered, holding the girl in one hand. In the other was some sort of weapons that was in the process of being raised.

The shape shifter only saw the girl and weapon being raised towards her. Immediately starbolts rained from his hands, shattering the legs and arms of the would be kidnapper.

Raven reflexively reached out with her dark magic and drew the girl to her.

"Get her out of here." Beast Boy ordered.

"You ..." She started to say as twenty Gordanians moved towards a them.

"I'm going to have some fun." He grinned viciously as he interrupted her.

The half demon nodded, and in several jumps took her and the girl back to the tower.

Starbolts poured from the hands of the enraged green-skinned Tamaranian, and the Gordanians found themselves forced to flee the bridge with arms and legs shattered. Some ran, some crawled, but soon the room was empty. It took all of the inflamed shape shifter's control not to kill. In his mind he saw dead bodies that covered the place in blood. Barely, he refrained from making that vision a reality.

Beast Boy smiled with a frightening grin, knowing that the Gordanians would try to retake the bridge; that they would soon come prepared with weapons, and might even succeed. _Can't have that. _The shape shifter mused as his mind carefully analyzed the situation through the rage he felt.

"Ship. Set course for Sol. Minimum speed." He coldly ordered.

"Order will result in destruction of ship." A mechanical voice replied.

The shape shifter calmly rephrased the order. "Ship. Override safety measures. Set course for Sol. Minimum speed."

"Course set. Will reach destination in two minutes." The mechanical voice replied. "Note order will result in destruction of ship."

Waiting, the shape shifter heard a siren-like sound echo throughout the ship. He only had to hold the bridge for two minutes, then the would be kidnappers would be forced to flee or die. He didn't really care which they chose; it was their decision.

"We'll all die." A voice roared from the doorway. "You're bluffing."

"I'm in the form of a Tamaranian." Beast Boy replied as he sent starbolts at the figure. "You'll be all dead before I'm in any danger." He focused on _boundless confidence_ and found it easy. In his furor he knew there could only be victory. He sent starbolts through the doorway as the Gordanians tried to retake the bridge. A number of them wore armor and took some effort to send fleeing, but they'd had only a short time to prepare and were in rush. They had no chance to stop and plan their assault. In the end he was left standing alone on the bridge once again.

"Warning: Twenty second to impact with star Sol." A mechanical voice warned.

The shape shifter waited and heard the sound of dozens of escape pods being launched. He turn and raise the unconscious captain to toss him into one as well.

"Ship. Report number of prisoner's in brig." Beast Boy suddenly frantically gulped, recalling how he'd found Aeopie in the first place.

"Zero prisoners." The vessel intoned, and the shape shifter closed his eyes briefly, glad he hadn't killed any innocents.

"Warning: Fifteen seconds to impact with star Sol." The mechanical voice warned.

Beast Boy grinned as he heard the sound of more pods being launched. Some of the aliens had remained behind, thinking he would stop the ship when he'd believed they'd all left.

"Warning: Ten seconds to impact with star Sol." The mechanical voice warned.

The shape shifter remained still, feeling the radiation on his skin. It'd long passed the point where it would be lethal to even an ordinary Tamaranian, but his skin was several times thicker, and his confidence was soaring which added to its durability.

"Warning: Five seconds to impact with star Sol." The mechanical voice warned.

"Ship. Full stop." The shape shifter ordered, feeling a little woozy. Even he was feeling the affects of the radiation now; there could be nothing else left alive aboard the ship.

"Stopped." The impassively mechanical tone replied.

"Ship. Return to previous location at full speed."

"Order completed." Came the nearly immediate reply.

"Ship. Fire on any Gordanian who attempts to board. Auxiliary weapons only."

"Order acknowledged."

* * *

Beast Boy immediately fled the ship and sought out Raven and Aeopie. He found them in the commons room with Robin and Cyborg looking anxiously on. Jinx was standing back a distance, obviously afraid she might accidentally cause the small girl bad luck and hurt her.

"She's okay." Raven intoned, emotionally drained. "They drugged her. I'm removing the drug from her system."

The shape shifter collapsed to the floor beside them, eyes closed as the terror that'd been consuming him faded. He too was emotionally drained. "Tell the Tamaranians there's a new ship for them to use." He intoned, reaching out to grab the hand of the small telepath. He opened his eyes to stare at the violet-eyed woman working on her.

A minute later the small girl started to shiver violently and scream. He pulled her into his arms and felt her cling frantically to him. Raven wrapped her own arms around both of them.

Starfire burst in through the door. "Friends. News most fire. The Gordanians have launched a fleet carrying antimatter weapons to destroy earth." The orange-skinned Titan announced; her eyes contained only terror, while her voice was filled with dread.

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	15. Chapter 15

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_I'm not familiar with Dragonball. Stories where he uses unusual types of DNA would be interesting. Even if I don't watch the show some of the races in it might provide good ideas for future stories._

_I've only watched the cartoons, so I don't know what's in the comics. It does seem strange that different species could interbreed like that. But then in fantasy anything goes. I'll remember that for future stories._

_The author didn't resolve the situation quite the way they planned to. I combined two chapters into one for this, and had a bit of difficulty writing it. Hope it turned out okay. This is, I think, the only chapter where events don't occur in a single day, but span several._

_Time: Early next morning._

* * *

_**Nightmares,... The Deadly Fleet,... Gordania,... Bright Lights,... Homecoming,...**_

_Too warm. _The shape shifter thought, wishing to cast aside the billion or so blankets that covered him.

_I'm going to melt. _Raven silently intoned, sweating up a storm.

Both gazed at the tip of Aeopie's head which was all that showed above the mass of bedding. Nightmares had caused the girl to wake again and again, so she'd ended up sleeping between them. The nightmares still came, but they seemed to be less intense.

"Her heart rate is skyrocketing again." Beast Boy quietly spoke.

"Damn." The violet-eyed girl sighed. She watched as the small telepath went still. That, it seemed, was how Aeopie's people usually dealt with terror. There was no fight or flee reflex; instead they froze, not moving. Given their frail nature she guessed it made sense. There was no way they could outrun or outfight a threat, so hiding was their only option if telepathy proved futile. _That would suggest they once had predators on their world who could resist their mental commands. _Raven noted with interest. Pushing the idea aside, she focused on more positive thoughts, knowing even in her sleep the telepath would sense them. Slightly shifting the mass of bedding the girl had brought with her from her chair, she lifted a hand and stroked the mass of orange hair.

The shape shifter sighed as he silently cursed himself, not knowing what to do. The previous day a Gordanian destroyer had attempted to kidnap her while they were busy in the city. The blue-skinned aliens had used their scanners to determine how much power they needed to cut their way into the safe room she'd been in, and had then set their particle beam accordingly. It'd been a swift and brutal assault that could've very easily killed the telepath. Since then the girl had been terrified. _Not that anyone can blame her. _He thought sadly. _She nearly died the last time they got their hands on her; not to mention her own people then tried to kill her because of it. _He sighed again, trying to think of something that would end the terror filled dreams; anything to make the shell-shocked girl smile again.

"Any ideas?" He asked.

"Maybe one of us could take a trip to Talyn and asked how we might calm her down." The violet-haired girl closed her eyes and sighed as well. "Other than that I don't know. It didn't help that Starfire came bursting in, terrified out of her wits, just as she was waking up."

"Yeah. But who can blame her." Beast Boy replied.

"So any idea on how we can keep the earth from becoming a twin of Tamaran?" She asked, letting a trickle of fear escape her control.

"Cyborg is crunching some numbers. When Starfire's people have gathered more data, and he's run a few simulations, we'll have a better idea what we're up against." The shape shifter swallowed nervously.

Between then the girl sensed their emotions and her fear increased.

Beast Boy sniffed the air, and suddenly rolled out of bed.

"What?" Raven demanded, suddenly fully awake with her senses reaching out to look for threats. She felt something wet against her leg and teleported several feet away. "You could've warned me." She hissed.

"Sorry. There was no time." He looked at the girl who was now waking up. Her eyes were so dark it frightened him, and he'd never heard her heart beat so fast.

"Sorry." The young telepath sobbed. "I didn't mean too."

"It's okay." Beast Boy and Raven chorused together; both feeling so helpless as they saw the girl's tear-streaked face.

"Come with me. I'll help you get cleaned up." Raven told her. "Actually I bet a nice hot bath will help you calm down." She looked at the shape shifter. "You handle the laundry." She stated coldly, pretending to be a little mad he hadn't warned her in time. Her hand reached out briefly to touch him.

Beast Boy ruffled the orange hair of the sobbing telepath. "Sorry Aeopie. I guess we were talking and forgot to try to keep our emotions calm." The girl didn't look up. Kneeling, he looked her in the eye. "Everything is going to be okay." The shape shifter spoke softly. "They won't get their hands on you again. And even if they do, Raven and I will come and get you."

"Promise?" She sniffled.

"Promise." The two of them spoke as one with absolute certainty in their voices..

"I'm sorry." She repeated again, but the color of her eyes faded slightly, showing she was a little calmer.

Raven led the girl off to the washroom while Beast Boy prepared to do the laundry.

_Too bad there isn't a really safe room for her. _The shape shifter mused as he pulled the sheets from the bed. _Some place no one can get into. _He paused and stared into space for a minute, thinking, before he resume demolishing the mountain of orange blankets. _Perfect place. _He concluded.

* * *

An hour later they entered Raven's mirror carrying a pile of blankets. Happy seemingly appeared out of nowhere and practically tackled Aeopie.

"Sleepover." She yelled at the top of her lungs as she danced around the girl.

"Going to be fun." Affection said, hugging the girl.

"It will be." Knowledge agreed, smiling at the small telepath.

Aeopie looked unsure, and glanced back at Raven and Beast Boy.

"This is a different dimension." The violet-eyed girl reassured her. "No one gets in here except through my mirror, or with my permission. No Gordanians will find you here, and if they do then my emoticlones will tear them to shreds. Trust me, Rage really hates intruders."

"And since it's a different dimension it means your people can't find you to hurt you." The shape shifter pointed out, recalling several of her dreams had been about that.

"Okay." Aeopie replied, voice still uncertain. However, the dark orange of her eyes faded as Happy bounce joyfully around while Affection smiled at her contentedly.

They found a soft place to spread the blankets and Raven stretched out on one of them. The mentally exhausted girl curled up next to her.

"I'll let you know if there's any signs of trouble." Beast Boy yawned.

"Okay." Raven replied. "This is going to be strange. Sleeping in here."

The shape shifter nodded. "Still, with Happy and Love here she should feel pretty contented; not to mention Brave and her overwhelming confidence. Given no one can get in here she should feel safe." He smiled at her as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. "Night."

"Night." She replied, staring sadly after him. Not only couldn't they do anything in bed now, but they were going to be sleeping in different dimensions.

For the first time in what seemed forever, Beast Boy settled down to sleep alone. He kept the mirror that was a portal to Raven's mind close.

* * *

Several hours later they gathered in the commons room. Aeopie had slept without nightmares, though not as soundly as she usually did. Both Beast Boy and Raven had managed to get some sleep of their own.

"How long before they get here?" Robin asked.

"Nine days." Starfire replied in a less than joyful tone.

"Nine days?" Cyborg asked, looking surprised. "One of their regular ships can get here in less than a day."

"True. But the fields that confine the antimatter must be kept stable; otherwise they blow up." The orange-skinned alien replied, sitting in a chair. Her current mood didn't allow her to fly.

"Sounds pretty stupid to me." Beast Boy mused aloud. "They've got two hundred ships guarding the ten carrying the antimatter. If they were to just pop on over here and start shooting they could fire their particle weapons around four hundred times each in nine days. That's over eighty thousand times total; there wouldn't be much left after that. Why bother going through all this trouble?"

"Few races bother with antimatter." Starfire answered. "It's more of a status weapon than anything else. Clumsy to use, and dangerous. The ships carrying it are totally automatic. Even low rank Gordanians refuse to crew them.

Both Cyborg and Beast Boy shook their heads, while Robin just stared.

"Two hundred ships with the fleet." The shape shifter sighed. "No way we can defeat that many." He frowned, knowing every creature had a weakness, whether it be an animal or a fleet of ships. _Even so, there's still no way a flea can harm an elephant." _He mused solemnly. _Unless ..._ "What're the Gordanian's using to defend their home world with?" He asked.

"Powerful as their ships might be, their world is advanced and has the energy resources of a whole planet to draw on." Starfire responded. "It has factories that mass produce hundred of thousands of automatic missiles each year. At any one time millions may be stockpiled; hence it's suicidal for any enemy fleet to approach Gordania."

"Didn't your people once have such defenses?" Cyborg asked.

"No. We were arrogant, and believed our powers would protect us. Back then we were more peaceful, and by the time we awoke to the idiocy of such hubris it was too late."

"I see." Beast Boy mused. "So they have millions of those shiny toys just sitting around. How're they controlled?"

"From the planet. A network of sensors lets them see anything within ten billion miles. That's the range of most of the missiles."

"Passwords?" The shape shifter asked.

"I don't know. I doubt anyone would." The orange-skinned alien frowned. "Why?"

The shape shifter sat back thinking. "No fleet can get close, but I could."

"Even something as small as a Tamaranian would be spotted, and destroyed." Starfire replied.

"There're other things that can survive in space. Some very small. At least for a while." Beast Boy's face held a look of intense concentration. He was interrupted when a smaller orange-skinned alien pulled on his sleeve. "What is it Aeopie?" He smiled down at her.

"No password. Every Gordanian knows that. But only those who govern their world can control the missiles. The machines to do so scans the DNA of whoever uses them. And they're buried very deep where no one else can get to them."

"Thanks. That's good to know." He gave her a small hug.

"How can you get on the planet?" Cyborg asked.

Beast Boy shrugged. "It's gamble, but there're microorganisms that can survive quite a while in space. The Deinococcus radiodurans for example can handle two thousand times the radiation that can kill a human, and it's resistant to vacuum." A shudder ran through the green-skinned shape shifter. "Still, it would have to be released from ten billion miles away, and the trip to Gordania would take a long time."

"A ship they could detect from ten billion miles." Starfire said. "But a Tamaran can get within a billion miles. Even then it would take time for the missiles to track and reach you, so even seven hundred million miles might be possible."

"That's insane." Cyborg gulped. "The odds of success are ..." He looked around. "If not zero then it's pretty close to it."

"Better than that I would think." Beast Boy shrugged. "I can alter its structure a little to improve the odds."

"Still." The cybernetic teen frowned.

"We can't touch the fleet." Beast Boy stated. "But we can touch their home world. We have no choice." He turned towards Raven."Keep yourself and Aeopie safe in Nevermore if the fleet isn't stopped. When it's over, take her some place safe."

Raven gulped, and nodded with her face pale.

The shape shifter scratched his head and looked a little more worried. "Only thing is learning the Gordanian language." He mused.

"We only got nine days. How can you manage that in such a short time?" Robin asked.

Beast Boy cringed and turned into a Tamaranian. "Simple." He replied, glancing at Raven who was now staring intensely at him. "I just need someone who knows the language." He added.

"I do." Starfire immediately replied, and was suddenly in front of him. The kiss lasted a rather long time.

Robin was fuming with a bo stick in his hands; while Raven had her eyes half closed in a very predatory look with dark magic sparking around her fists.

"I guess it had to be done." The half demon growled darkly.

"He's a pretty good kisser." Starfire mused. "That was almost as good as our first kiss." She paused and cringed. "Oops." She added, glancing at Boy Wonder.

"You've kissed him before?" Robin asked, eyebrows rising in a very threatening way.

"When?" Raven demanded as the dark magic around her hands seemed to prepare itself to lash out.

"On Tamaran. She was overjoyed when she realized her people still had hope." Beast Boy clearly stated, tensing as he prepared to leap out of the way of any attacks. "Anyway. We have a world to save." He pointed out, holding his breath.

"Hrmph." Raven replied as the dark power around her hands faded. Aeopie was looking at her with her eyes wide, and she only backed down so as not to frighten the girl. _Not that I got any right to be angry. _She mused._ It was before we became a couple._ Starfire however, she noted, had more explaining to do. Especially with that comment about him being a good kisser. Not that she was going to disagrees; he most definitely was.

* * *

It was twelve hours later that a stolen Gordanian scouting craft approached within ten billion miles of the home world of the blue-skinned aliens. The shape shifter had spent most of that time altering his Deinococcus radiodurans form, and then resting. The cell walls were made a little thicker, and by enhancing its metabolism he increased the rate at which it could repair itself. Still, it was a frail form to send out against the harsh conditions of space.

Becoming the Tamaranian version two form, he left the scouting craft and hurled towards the distant world. At a billion miles he started to detect signs he'd been spotted. With a final burst of speed he made it to eight hundred million miles before he slowed and became the form of a Deinococcus radiodurans bacterium. Early the next morning he approached within several million miles of the bluish world. Good as the alien sensors were, they could never hope to detect a single-celled organism.

This close to their world the defenses weren't active. There were thousands of satellites and small craft, and the risks of an accident were just too great. The shape shifter resumed his Tamaranian version two form, and was soon in the atmosphere of the world. That would've drawn attention, but by the time the defenses could react to something inside their perimeter it was too late. He was safely hidden on the ground.

* * *

He could kill their home world, but that wouldn't save earth; rather that would ensure its destruction. The fleet, outraged, would continue on its way. The Gordanians had colonies, so it wouldn't even stop their race's barbaric ways. Still, it was their home world and they would defend it with everything they had; or so he hoped. The plan depended on it.

Ironically the leaders of this world ruled it from a giant citadel much like the Tamaranian one. Rising, the shape shifter hurled towards it, commanding the feeling of boundless confidence within himself. The numerous passages into it were well guarded by gates made of massive slabs of titanium, but he struck too fast for them to be lowered. Inside there were smaller barriers, but being only an inch thick he blasted through them with starbolts fueled by righteous fury.

_Must move faster. _Beast Boy thought as he tried to drive himself to even greater speeds. There were only a dozen high ranking Gordanians who could control the missiles, and out of the tens of thousands of people inside the citadel he had to find one of them. Tamaranians were tough, and his Tamaranian version two form was immensely tougher, but it could still be hurt; could still be killed.

Hundred of Gordanian soldiers filled the corridors, but he ignored them for the most part; using just enough firepower to get through, and then rushing away too fast for them to follow. Stopping to fight every one of them was suicide; he couldn't hope to defeat a billion super strong soldiers.

More barriers dropped and the shape shifter was trapped with two hundred of the brutal warriors; all of who were equipped with armor and weapons. His boundless confidence held steady, and he poured forth his wrath with righteous fury. But energy beams still sought him out, and his flesh burned. Four of the Gordanians tried to grapple with him, hoping to hold him in place while the others finished him off. They failed, but managed to slow him enough for his flesh to take minor damage. Using his superior speed and strength he managed to get to the barrier and blast a hole through it using starbolts. Then he raced away from the enraged soldiers. A minor skirmish, but it'd cost him. He was wounded even if only minorly, and the delay would give the others more time to prepare. _This isn't going to go well. _Beast Boy decided, already instinctively reading the path the battle would take.

Another barrier dropped and gas of some sort flowed from the walls. His skin itched, and the shape shifter felt panic for a second._ There're using particles of metallic chromium_. He realized. _Fine enough to be suspended in the air. _He waited, knowing Tamaranians were allergic to the metal. While it wouldn't harm him, the sneezing fits would hinder him. Nothing. _Part of this shape is from Killer Croc. It's thick skin is recognizing the chromium as a toxin and countering it. _Relief filled him and fueled his boundless confidence. He blasted the barrier before him and continued his search.

Minutes passed and he encountered no one. _They're keeping out of the way and preparing a massive counterattack. _Beast Boy predicted. He was soon proven right. He blasted through a barrier only to be struck by the beams of a hundred Gordanians who stood in rolls. The chamber, larger than the others allowed twenty of then to stand side-by-side across it. The first row of warriors were flat on the ground. The next kneeling just a little above them. And so on until the fifth row who were standing.

The damage to his skin was incredible. And from behind the hundred warriors came hundreds of grenades from other soldiers who tossed the explosive weapons above their comrades. The shape shifter didn't pause; his animal reflexes told him to do so was to die. He leapt forward, and hurled through them with all the speed he could muster, sending a barrage of starbolts in front of himself. They struck the next barrier, and he was through. _Ouch. _Beast Boy moaned. The titanium barricades seemed to be everywhere, and he'd only been in the citadel for ten minutes. Yet already he was bleeding and bruised. If he kept this up he would die. _What choice do I have? _He asked himself, and continued.

There were more chambers where the soldiers were prepared. Blasting through an inch of titanium made a certain amount of noise, which made it easy for them to track him. Each time he took a few more scrapes and bruises as he sped through the traps and blasted his way out. However enough minor wounds built up into serious injuries over time, and he knew this couldn't continue for long. In one of the corridors the waiting soldiers got lucky, and the blast of at least fifty rifles caught him in the head; an eye vanished before the onslaught and he froze in shock for a second before rushing through.

"Give up shape shifter and we will allow you to live. Our scientists are interested in studying you. Allow them and we will make sure it isn't too painful." The voice boomed from the walls.

_Really. _Beast Boy thought. _Let a bunch of nutcases experiment on me. What do they think? That I'm stupid? _He blasted through another barrier, and realized the top layer of the citadel made no sense. He was in a maze of sorts, and it could take ages to find his way into inner part of the place. _Damn. _He sighed.

He tore through the next barrier and was caught with more rifle fire. The energy beams came close to his remaining eye. _It seems they've spotted one of my weaknesses. _The shape shifter mused. _They blind me and I'm pretty much doomed._ There were more chambers with more soldiers, but he'd learned to keep his head tilted away as he entered them. It allowed him to keep his sight, but it also meant he was slower to react and more of the soldiers were hitting him.

Then the shaper shifter entered a really large room. He'd gotten lucky, sort if. It was obviously the entrance to the inner part of the citadel. But it also held an uncountable number of troops. Thousands of beams reached out for him and his flesh melted beneath the onslaught; in places it even punched through him. He fled only to find the path behind him had been booby-trapped. They'd known he would be forced to flee, and had prepared. Each chamber he'd blasted through now contained what could only be miniature nuclear explosives. He was caught in one shockwave after another as he retraced his steps. Small, yet burning hotter than the inside of a star, the small fusion devices ripped even his hardened Tamaranian form to shreds. As resistance as he was to radiation, the amount he'd received was fatal.

_There has to be a way to get through this. _Beast Boy desperately thought, feeling woozy from blood loss and radiation burns. Every second was agony as his body struggled to remain alive. Soldiers started entering the room, chasing him from the massive chamber he'd found. _There's always a way. _The shape shifter mused. He saw Raven and Aeopie in his mind, and knew he couldn't allow himself to die in this place; not when they were waiting for him. The thought revived him, and gave him energy.

Moving with all the speed his Tamaranian form could muster he flung starbolts at the soldiers, scattering them. He reached the hole blasted through the barrier and flashed through. But there he stopped, letting the Gordanians think he'd fled. Instead he resumed the form of the radiation resistant Deinococcus radiodurans bacterium and let himself settle down on the exposed skin of one of the troops. Soon he was in the Gordanian's body where there existed everything he needed to thrive.

The radiation was fatal to even a Tamaranian, but the bacterium could repair such damage with ease. The same with the rest of his wounds. He settled down, and waited as his small body worked to heal itself. There was no way they could find him in here, though he worried the soldier might leave the citadel. _That wouldn't be good. _The shape shifter mused, but decided it couldn't be helped. So massive was the damage he'd taken that it took most of a day to heal, and then several more hours of rest to recover from the effort. As disgusting as it was, there was also plenty of food in the form of alien blood cells.

* * *

Rather than leave immediately to resume the futile fight, the shape shifter relaxed and spent some time thinking. Following various flows of blood, he reached the eyes of his host. _Still in the citadel. _He thought with relief. _Not only that but I'm no longer in the maze part. That's excellent. _Still, he knew leaving his hiding spot would be swiftly fatal. The Gordanians were strong; almost as strong as Tamaranians.

_That's it. _Beast Boy tried to smile in the singled celled form he was in. _They're too strong and too tough for any one person to handle. But what if they weren't. What if ... _He watched the soldier walk round and considered his idea in more detail. The only problem was time. The fleet would take nine days to reach earth. Two of those had passed. He had seven days left. Six if you included a day for the ships to be recalled. _It's enough time; more than enough. _He decided, and set to work.

Beast Boy found his way to the soldier's gut where there were bacteria that helped the aliens digest food. He became one of them and immediately started making changes. Soon the form he was in was no longer so harmless. _Multiply. _He commanded, and it did so. Each doubling took five minutes. In an hour there were four thousand of the new bacteria. In two hours there were sixteen million. In three there were nearly seventy billions. Designed from a bacteria the host recognized as beneficial there was no response from the immune system until it was too late. In the meantime the soldier walked around, exhaling the new creation wherever he went.

The citadel was a closed system, and the bacteria was spread through the ventilation system. By the end of the day everyone within it were infected. _Five days left. _Beast Boy solemnly mused. Twenty-four hours later he counted four days, but by then the new disease had taken hold. He estimated it would take three days to run its course. Within a week the bacteria, which he'd designed to quickly mutate into its old form, would become extinct. But in the meantime ...

The shape shifter resumed the form of the Tamaranian version two. Immediately he gagged at the stench of things better left unmentioned. He'd created the bacteria to cause projectile vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea. Nearly throwing up himself, he noted that part of the disease was obviously in effect. It should also cause headaches and dizziness, along with muscle cramps and weakness. If everything went according to plan, the powerful soldiers arrayed against him should now be no stronger than a newborn baby. It wouldn't kill anyone, but for a while those stricken with it would feel like they were dying.

Beast Boy roamed the corridors, noting the marking on the doors. The cafeteria he found was empty, though the tables and floors were marked with foul smelling stains that he decided to avoid. Further along he came to what seemed to be a dormitory. Groans came from behind the doors, and he quickly pinched his nose. Staggering himself, he fled the place. He didn't think someone as important as he was looking for would be there anyway.

An hour later, still seeking one of the people who could command the missiles, the Gordanians finally reacted to him; or tried to. A hundred soldiers walked hunched over along a corridor. Seeing him they tried to stand to aim. The sudden movement left half of them on the floor, puking. The other fifty or so wavered and were obviously unable to aim. _Probably because if the bacteria is working like it should be they're seeing three or four of me. _Beast Boy mused as he waited. Eventually they also fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs. A disgusting mixture of blue, green, orange, grey, black, and brown covered the floor. He assumed the different colors depended on what they'd last ate. They all looked gross and he shuddered, pinching his nose again.

One of the soldiers still struggled to stand and fire. The shape shifter smiled. It seemed the Gordanian leaders actually lead their troops some times. He approached the trembling blue-skinned alien, careful not to be splattered with any noxious substances, and touched him. The DNA was analyzed by his body, and a new shape formed that he could call upon at will. He backed away, and wondered how to get down to the next level. He'd seen stairs while wandering around, and assumed they might be a good place to start.

They were, except for being blocked by titanium blocks. Beast Bioy sat, studying them for a bit, noting they weren't a perfect fit. A small space existed between them. Hoping it wasn't a trap, he became a cockroach and scuttled through. If it was a trap there was no one at the controls. He was past it in seconds, and on a steep set of stairs. Levitating as he thought of boundless confidence, he flew downward. Every few hundred feet he came to another blockage, but each time it was easily navigated by the form of a cockroach. There had to be a way to clear the passageway, and the new form he had could probably do it, but given how easy it was to get by them the shape shifter decided it was a waste of time.

Eventually he came to a door. Becoming the new form, that of a Gordanian leader, he pressed a finger to a small panel to the left of the entrance. A light flickered over it for a long time; at least a minute. _Not going to work. _Beast Boy decided, assuming the form's DNA wasn't pure enough with his own mixed in to deactivate the lock. About to remove his hand, the door, made of three-foot thick slabs of titanium slid open, and he entered.

* * *

Several beams of energy lashed at him, and he reverted to the Tamaranian version two form. Inside the room were a dozen Gordanians. They seemed to be healthy so he assumed this level of the citadel was totally separated from the one above. It was only a dozen and his confidence was truly boundless. Righteous fury consumed him and he flung starbolts. Soon his blue-skinned foes stopped firing and slumped to the ground. He tossed them outside and closed the door. Turning, Beast Boy surveyed what was the central command for the entire planet's defense system. Securely tucked away deep in the ground behind thousands of soldier, and more money's worth of titanium than he could ever hope to figure out, but not safe from a determined shape shifter.

Stepping close to a console he once again pressed a finger against a small panel. As before it took the machine a long time to make sense of the DNA that wasn't purely Gordanian; but in the end it also decided it belong to the person he'd stolen the form from.

"Identify confirmed. Second in command Pilkcrom Hjonart. Ready to receive orders." A mechanical voice intoned.

"Defense. How many ships and satellites within range of defense system? Including Gordanian vessels." The shape shifter asked, smiling a cold smile. He kept his finger on the panel. If he removed it he would have to reidentify himself.

"Six thousand, two hundred, forty-nine." The machine responded.

"Defense. Emergency override. All vessels have been compromised. Disable without killing." Beast Boy was grateful the system the Gordanians had set up allowed for the disabling of crewed ships. Its purpose had been to capture alien vessels for inspection, but it meant he didn't have to kill.

"Vessels are identified as Gordanian. Please confirm order."

"Defense. Emergency override. All vessels have been compromised. Disable without killing." The shape shifter repeated.

"Order initiated. Two hundred and nine-six thousand, four hundred and seven missiles used." The machine intoned.

"Defense. Emergency override. Destroy all uncrewed vessels and satellites. Maintain order until further notice." Beast Boy ordered.

"Vessels and satellites are identified as Gordanian. Please confirm order."

"Defense. Emergency override. Destroy all uncrewed vessels and satellites. Maintain order until further notice." The shape shifter repeated.

"Order initiated." Came the mechanical reply.

He waited. As time passed more and more missiles were used. Satellites were destroyed without pause. Then as damaged ships were abandoned by their crews they too were eliminated. In an hour less than a dozen vessels remained in the system, all too badly damaged to do much of anything.

The shape shifter studied a map and picked a place empty of people. "Defense. Sector 190367439 has been compromised. Launch ten missiles."

"Please confirm order." Came the mechanical request, so he did. Ten one-megaton warhead leveled the specified sector.

For the next several hours he randomly picked empty places and launched missiles at them. Eventually, as the blue-skinned aliens tried to move troops, he had the defense system disable their transportation. They might have millions of soldiers, but now they had no way to move them. And the ones already here were deadly ill.

The Gordanian had to respond or lose their home world, and the only way they could was to call in their ships. They had colonies but Gordania was what united them. They couldn't afford to lose it. Soon thousands of vessels entered the system; everything from cargo ships to soak up the missiles to several hundred destroyers and scout ships. The shape shifter ordered them disabled.

The Gordanians knew their own system, and knew how to fool the defenses. But this was their home world, and they'd stocked piled more than five million of the deadly weapons. In the end all the ships were disabled with less than six hundred thousand missiles left. The blue-skinned aliens might've designed the system, but Beast Boy had spent thousands of hours playing war games. He grinned viciously as the last ship was fatally crippled. The missile count dropped to under four hundred thousand as the disabled vessels were abandoned, and then consequently destroyed. They'd thrown everything they'd had at neutralizing their own defenses, and had failed.

"Defense. Antimatter facilities have been compromised. Eliminate them." He ordered. Once again the computer asked for confirmation, and he gave it. There were no people on those deadly structures that orbited less than a million miles from the planet's star. Massive explosions ripped through them that dwarfed anything the missiles could've done.

Satisfied, the shape shifter smiled. He ordered the rest of the missiles to attack random places in the star system until they were used up.

Opening the door, he fled the room after he'd sent dozens of starbolts into the consoles. The troops in the citadel were too sick to oppose him. There were no ships or missiles left to stop him from fleeing the world. In his Tamaranian version two form he met up with the waiting scout ship, and they sped away from the defanged race. The Gordanians no longer had any ships left to send against earth, and in their arrogance they'd made a number of other worlds angry. They would be desperately busy for the next decade or two defending against them to want more enemies.

* * *

In the cold darkness of space they trailed the fleet of death. Courageous Tamaranians dared to fly close enough to keep tabs on the two hundred Gordanian warships and their ten antimatter carriers. For days nothing changed. On the bridge of the cruiser, earth's largest ship, Raven played seemingly endless games of checkers with Aeopie. The small telepath always won, and the half demon would've sworn she must've been cheating, but in the end she decided there was no way the girl could be. The young alien, half her age, was beating her fair and square.

Then the Tamaranians brought news that the fleet guarding the antimatter ships had withdrawn, running at top speed for Gordania. _He made it. _The empath smiled. _By tomorrow this time I'll know if he's okay. But then I already know he is. Better to say by tomorrow I'll be where I belong again; with him. _Her heart raced at the thought.

The stolen ships; one cruiser, eight destroyers, and two scouts moved into place. Their particles beams struck the antimatter carriers and explosions bright enough to be seen for light years light up the frigid night. Their work done, they turned and raced for the earth.

* * *

Sixteen hours later when the single scout dropped one green-skinned shape shifter off by the tower, Raven tossed Aeopie at Starfire and demanded the two orange-skinned aliens take a trip together to the mall. She even gave them both enough money to keep shopping for hours. With the young telepath that wasn't much. She would just buy a single cupcake and eat it slowly, savoring it. Then she would take the better part of an hour to choose another.

Knowing they wouldn't be disturbed for a while, the half demon teleported herself, along with Beast Boy, to her room. Her sounds of pleasure could be heard throughout the tower, even down in the garage where Robin and Cyborg, both blushing, decided it was a good time to take the T-car out for a spin. A red-faced Jinx joined them.

Thirty miles away a small nine-year old telepath stuck her fingers in her ears, and then removed them with a sigh when she realized there was no way that was going to work. Blushing, she continued nibbling on a chocolate mint cupcake with sparkles of some sort. They were good and she might have a second. Focusing, she managed to create a mental shield that woud've made her mother proud if she'd been there to see it.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


	16. Chapter 16

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replied to reviews:_

_Of course Beast Boy wins. He may get badly hurt, and had to retreat once to regroup, but he's one of the two main characters in the story. The hero usually does win._

_The Gordanian enemies might not be so considerate, but Beast Boy did leave their infrastructure intact. They'll rush build more missiles and should be fine. They just won't be eager to make new enemies for a while. _

_Starfire I think would just be glad to have someone to shop with. Which begs the question: just what does she buy when she shops. Her outfit doesn't change much. I wonder if she actually buys stuff, or just browses the stores. it would certainly be a novelty compared to Tamaran culture._

_If they don't more time with Aeopie her emoticlones would probably revolt. Even if not written I'm sure she'll be visiting Nevermore a lot._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Halloween,...**_

Life on earth continued. With the Gordanians kicked off the world for a bit Aeopie started sleeping better. Her nightmares disappeared, and she'd even graduated to sleeping in Beast Boy's old room. They'd painted the walls a very mild shade of orange, and had installed orange tinted windows. The shape shifter had to admit that when the sun shone through it the color was rather nice. More clothes were bought, though the small telepath had pointed out the still very relevant fact that it was pointless given she had to wear a robe over them. Her chair was left in Raven's room for when she napped in the evenings.

Movie night continued, though it was most Disney romances and cartoons. What else could they let the girl watch? Starfire was the only other person who took an interest in the shows, while Cyborg and Beast Boy played video games. A certain violet-eyed girl often sat with them, reading as she enjoyed the sounds of cheerful chatter. Robin usually obsessed over stuff in the evidence room, and disappeared for long periods of time.

Raven, to her everlasting embarrassment, had been given a stern talking to by the young telepath about projecting during certain activities. It was, she knew, a talk she would never forget. It seemed the same method that prevented Talynians from accessing her mind would also keep her from transmitting her lust filled thoughts to any innocent telepath within a hundred mile radius. Wondering just who else might've overheard those activities worried her sometimes.

The Tamaranians were finding the limits of earth's technology as they tried to use it to restore their home world. Sure, some companies were able to do simple gene splicing, but it was nowhere close to what was needed. Starfire often came to the shape shifter concerning such problems.

* * *

"The algae you created is thriving, and the small amount of life in our oceans is no longer in danger of starving. We've stopped using the vats." The orange-skinned alien informed him, bouncing around the room. Then she sat in a chair. "However, the toxins with which the Gordanians poisoned our world remains. The fish live just long enough to spawn before they succumb to it. We're trying to breed a new version of algae that will ingest massive amounts of the poisons and then die, taking the toxins to the bottom of the sea with them. In time silt would cover them, and the water would become safe for all life again."

"How's it going?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not well. The algae you created for us expels all toxins from their bodies, which is good for the fish that eat them. But it means the water is no purer. The old form of algae still dies too quickly to be of use."

"I see. What did they use to poison Tamaran with?"

"Chromium. It's the one thing all life on our world finds poisonous. The Gordanians ground it into a fine dust so that it doesn't settle out of the oceans. At least not quickly. More than ten parts per billion in sea water is toxic."

"I see. Let me think." Beast Boy wondered if he could create a form that could consume chromium. _Don't need to. _He suddenly realized. "There's a planet that has a lot of heavy metals. Life there needs quite a bit of it to survive. Just transplant some of the algae from that world to Tamaran. Without many predators it will breed quickly and consume the heavy metals in your oceans along with the chromium. Then it will starve, and naturally die away when the water isn't as polluted. I forget the name, but a search of the data banks on the Gordanian ships should locate it."

"That would be excellent." The girl paused and frowned. "That's something we should've found on our own. Sadly the efforts to keep our world alive meant our education has suffered."

"Hire a biologist." Beast Boy suggested. "Of course given they would be given a chance to see a whole new ecosystem, they would probably be willing to pay you for the opportunity."

"We will."

The shape shifter felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Orange." Aeopie said, pointing to a picture of a witch and a pumpkin on a poster.

"I see." He smiled. "That's a pumpkin. Next time I'm in the city I'll get a pumpkin pie for you to try."

She tugged again. "Halloween." She stated, clearly wanting to ask something but not willing to be too direct about it.

"Already? Today?" The shape shifter blinked. "We'll need to rent scary movies for tonight."

"Trick-or-treat?" The small telepath asked hopefully.

"Oh. You want to go trick-or-treating?"

She nodded. "Candy." She said, drooling.

He laughed. "As if you don't get enough sweets. It's almost all you eat."

"Fun." Came the reply. She smiled brightly at him, with her eyes almost glowing as they became a very pretty shade of orange.

The shape shifter gulped as he felt his ability to resist the little monster vanish. Her smiles did that. _There goes movie night. _He mused without ire. The girl might be on earth for a long time, and she had to keep hidden, so letting her have some fun trick-or-treating would be okay. However, given her frail nature, they would need to keep a close eye on her.

"You need a costume." He pointed out.

"Orange." Aeopie stated again, pointing at the pumpkin.

"Hrm. I'm not sure that's an appropriate costume." Having never been trick-or-treating himself he had no idea if it was or wasn't, but his gut instinct said it wasn't.

"Oh." She frowned, and his heart broke.

"I guess we'll be going shopping." He told her. "Maybe one of the sales persons will know for sure."

Her eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously. "Okay." She turned to Starfire. "Want to go to the mall with us?"

The Tamaranian hit the ceiling. It was a very rare occasion that anyone asked her to go to the mall of shopping. "I would." She happily exclaimed.

"Guess I'm in too." Raven intoned impassively, putting a book aside. She had to make sure the costume was appropriate, and besides, she didn't want Starfire and Beast Boy alone too much. Sure she trusted him, but she could still recall a certain orange-skinned alien's comments a few weeks back about him being a good kisser. Better safe than sorry.

* * *

At the store Beast Boy asked if a pumpkin was a suitable costume for a girl. The stares he'd gotten had turned him red; obviously it wasn't.

With Aeopie refusing any costume that didn't have orange as its main theme, they'd been stumped. Then Starfire had remarked some children were going as Tamaranians. They'd seen the aliens destroy the silver minion, and then stick around saving lives as heroes did. For the little girl, whose skin tone was exactly the same as Starfire's, it was perfect. A quick dye job had given her red hair, while contacts had made her eyes appear large and green. What to wear had been more of a problem. Despite her own outfit, Raven had declared most of the clothing the aliens wore not suitable for a nine-year old girl. On that account Beast Boy had agreed with her a hundred percent. They'd settled with jeans, along with a shirt that had a picture of an orange kitten on it. Finally, they'd been ready.

* * *

So it was later that night that Raven created a black disc and let the small telepath climb aboard. Beast Boy sat beside her. Starfire took to the air besides them, insisting on watching the earth ritual of candy giving. With three superheroes watching her, the small telepath was going to one well guarded little girl.

"So playing tricks is okay?" Starfire asked, frowning.

"No. It's just a phrase." Beast Boy tried to explained, though he didn't know much about the custom himself. "You knock on the door, say trick-or-treat, take what they give you, and leave. If they got nothing you just try the next door."

"Oh. Then why say the trick part?" The alien frowned, looking confused.

"No idea." The shape shifter admitted. "It's just a custom."

"A custom where you lie?"

He sighed. "Is it a lie if everyone knows what it means? A lie is an attempt to deceive, but since everyone knows what it means, that's impossible."

"Oh." The Tamaranian sat back on the disc along with the three of them, and prepared to watch Halloween and trick-or-treating in action.

The city was well lit. Jump City was a good place to live. Unlike Gotham, here people were put first. Anyone who placed a bright light outside their residence, or business, on Halloween got a small break on property taxes. It ensured there were no spots of darkness, and that even late at night it was safe for children to roam the streets. On that one night of the year the city glowed as if it was high noon.

"Just take what people give you. No bargaining." Raven informed the little girl who frowned at the words. "That's not the way it works." She gave the small telepath a small hug. "You sure you want to try this?"

The girl nodded. "Yes." When it came to sweets she never hesitated.

The violet-eyed girl found herself suppressing a grin. She gave the small telepath another hug and set the disc down so she could get off. "We'll be watching." She informed the girl. "And if you need anything use your telepathy. Use it even if you only _think_ something is wrong." She instructed.

"I will." Aeopie said, turning around on the street, wondering which place to get sweets from first.

Raven let the disc rise into the air. Beside her Beast Boy took on the form an owl so as to observe the young trick-or-treater better. Starfire sat on the disc and kept watch as well.

* * *

Obviously the young telepath didn't know which way to go. _Given this is a whole different culture from her own. _The violet-haired Titan mused. _She might not even be able to tell what's a house and what isn't._

She turned around on the street corner, just in front of a brightly lit bungalow, yet not moving from the spot.

"You're dressed as one of the new superheroines too." A cheerful voice, obviously riding a sugar high, spoke to Aeopie.

She nodded. "I'm dressed as a Tamaranian." The young telepath replied.

"Tamaranian?" The new girl, who appeared to be twelve looked puzzled at the term. "First time trick-or-treating alone?" She asked.

Aeopie nodded. "I've never been trick-or-treating before." She explain.

"Never?" The new girl asked, looking stunned.

"Never. I'm sort of lost. I don't know what to do." The telepath admitted, looking a bit scared.

"Want to join us?" The girl asked, pointing at the other two girls with her. "I'm Jenny. This is Katie and that's Cammy." They both appeared to be around twelve as well, and where also dressed as Tamaranians. It seemed the alien newcomers were making a hit with the young female population as role models.

"I'm Aeopie."

"Strange name. But cute." Jenny said. "Come on. The night isn't getting any younger." She led the group up a walkway at a dash, leaving the frail girl behind. At the house they waited for her. "Definitely not one of the new superheroines." Jenny mused with a smile. Seeing the girl frown she quickly added. "But that's okay. We can go a bit slower. Trick-or-treating is much better in a group." She beamed a smiled at the girl.

Cammy knocked on the door and then held out her back. Seeing the other girls do the same Aeopie opened her bag as well. When an oldish woman peered out, looking glad to see them, they chorused trick-or-treat. Soon all four bags contained a couple of mars bar.

"Next door." Jenny, who was definitely the leader of the group, exclaimed. She started to dash off, but then slowed to a fast walk. "I planned this." She told the small girl. "There're about two hundred small houses around here, all very close together. Maximum gain for the least amount of work." She smiled again.

* * *

"Whew." Beast Boy said from two hundred feet up as he resumed his human form. "Looks like she's made a few friends."

"That's good. Still, I'm going to watch her." Raven replied.

"Trick-or-treating seems like fun. Are you sure I can't join them?" Starfire asked, practically pleading.

"I'm sure." The shape shifter responded. "It's only for kids."

The orange-skinned girl looked thoughtful. "But when we have children they can go trick-or-treating." She decided emphatically. "A giving of many small gifts of food to show we love them." She smiled and sat back to continue watching the four cheerful girls scurrying around below.

* * *

The trick-or-treaters raced from door to door. Jenny had planned it well, and there was no more than forty to fifty feet between the houses. Along the way they talked and joked.

"What sort of stuff do you like?" Cammy asked their new friend.

"Beast Boy and Raven and Starfire and Cyborg and Robin and sweets and checkers." The small telepath answered.

"You like the Titans too." Jenny exclaimed, as she happily skipped along to the next house and knocked. Soon all four bags held a snickers bar. "Wow. These people give out good stuff." She added gleefully.

"Very good." Aeopie nodded emphatically. "Ten houses and twelve bars." She drooled.

"You live near here?" Cammy asked.

"Titan's Tower." The telepath responded, scampering along beside them.

"Don't be silly. Only the Titans live there." Katie pointed out. "And you're too young to be one."

"That's where I live with my friends." The small girl frowned.

"She's playing one of the heroes." Jenny interrupted. "If that's where she says she lives then it's fine. She's just playing her role." The leader glared at Katie. "Don't be so uptight." She said with her tone firm. Still, she smiled as she spoke, playing the part of a peacemaker perfectly.

"Sorry." Came the humbled response.

"What sort of stuff do you like?" Aeopie asked the other three.

"Reading and drawing." Cammy replied.

"Soccer and trick-or-treating." Jenny grinned. "I love trick-or-treating."

"Don't forget Mark." Katie and Cammy poked at her.

"And Mark." The leader blushed a bright red that showed through her orange makeup.

"I like computers and solving problems with them." Katie said. "I've tried writing games, but they're not all that good. People say I'm too logical."

"Oh." The girl replied, wondering what else to ask her new friends. Out of breath, she decided to focus on just keeping up.

Laughing and talking, they struck house after house, managing to get through over a hundred of them in less than two hours. It would've been more but Jenny always stayed and chatted sociably with the people who answered the door. They were usually oldish people who always smiled at the trick-or-treaters.

"Most of the people around here are seniors." Jenny explained. "They don't see many people at Halloween, but they always prepare." Obviously she'd planned the outing with the cunning mind of a brilliant tactician.

The bags of gathered loot quickly grew as at each house the people realized they'd over prepared, and gave out twice or even triple what one would normally expect. Aeopie had to struggle to keep hold of her bag and was quickly tiring, but there was no way she was stopping until the others did. Beyond happy, yet exhausted, she lost track of what lay beyond the small group.

Suddenly they were scattered as a small gang violently rushed through them. Aeopie went flying to the ground, while the other three managed to maintain their footing. Laughing, the would be thieves snatched the girls' bags. Twenty feet up the road they turned and mocked the four young trick-or-treaters.

"What heroes." A boy of around fifteen yelled back.

"More like a bunch of losers." Another one who looked fourteen mocked.

"Thanks for the loot." A girl of fifteen told the trick-or-treaters.

"You okay?" Jenny asked, ignoring the thieves as she helped Aeopie stand.

The girl nodded, looking down at her hands. They were scrapped and bleeding. There were tears in her eyes. She sniffled and wiped her eyes as the concerned leader put her arm around her.

"It's okay." The twelve-year old told her. "Half the fun is in trick-tor-treating with friends, and we had that anyway. Don't let a bunch of losers take that away."

"It was fun." Aeopie smiled, feeling the genuine concern flowing from the other girl.

"It was. We meet a new friend." Katie and Cammy comforted her as well.

Despite the bright lamps that lit up the city the night suddenly darkened.

"Uh oh." Aeopie suddenly gulped. "She's mad. Really really mad."

"Who is?" Jenny asked, looking up to see what was causing the darkness.

The shadow of a giant raven seemed to descent from the sky. Then they all turned to stare as a towering fifteen foot figure appeared out of nowhere. Her four eyes glowed red, and her faced was twisted up in a smile that definitely wasn't sane.

"So you like stealing from kids." Rage asked. Dark magic flickered around her hands and tentacles reached out from her cloak towards the would be thieves.

"Not nice." Starfire spoke, hands blazing with starbolts ready to fire. Her eyes glowed a bright green, ready unleash their own fury upon the would be destroyers of fun.

A huge T-rex lumbered out of the shadows. Not able to speak it roared as it opened its jaws wide enough to swallow all three offenders whole.

Pale faced, the three thieves let the bags they'd stolen drop to the sidewalk. Eyes bright with fear they were frozen stiff, unable to move as tentacles of darkness reached out from the enraged emoticlone and wrapped around them. Then they began to violently thrash and scream, futilely trying to resist the dark demon's hold on them.

"Stop." Aeopie demanded. She tried to place herself between the would be thieves and Raven, but her three new friends fearfully held her back. "Stop." She yelled again, gulping. _It's okay. _She projected into the mind of Raven who was manifesting Rage. _Please stop._

The tentacles withdrew, letting the two boys and the girl they'd held drop to the ground. They immediately dashed off, terrified out of their wits.

"Sorry." Raven replied, looking normal now. "Guess I got carried away." She didn't sound sorry.

Beast Boy resumed his human form. "Looks like you're getting a lot of loot." He mused, not sounding the least bit sorry himself.

"I should've smote them with starbolts." The orange-skinned alien, who the four trick-or-treaters were dressed up as, settled to the ground and examined the girl. "You're bleeding." She stated with a frown.

"Here honey." Raven held the young telepath's hands between her own and a brief glow encompassed them.

Beast Boy touched her shoulder and examined her carefully, looking for more signs of harm.

"I'm okay." She insisted.

"You're Beast Boy." Jenny, Cammy, and Katie stated as one. Their eyes were wide. "You're Starfire." They chorused, turning to the Tamaranian. "You're Raven." They gulped, staring at the half demon. "Can we have your autographs please?" All three suddenly stated.

"Ready to come home?" Raven asked, signing one of the three Halloween bags held out to her.

"Not yet." The young telepath determinedly stated. She looked at Jenny. "There's more houses?" She asked hopefully.

"We're only halfway done yet." Came the distracted reply of the girl who was staring at the three superheroes.

Aeopie held her bulging bag, eager to continue. Her arms trembled.

Seeing the girl struggle with her bag Raven disappeared for a few second, and returned with a large garbage bag. "Dump that in here." She instructed. "That's too heavy for you to carry."

Relieved, the small telepath obeyed.

"You know them." Jenny stated in an awe-filled tone.

"She said home. You do live with them." Katie gulped. "Sorry I didn't believe you." She added a second later.

"Why do you live there? Do you have super powers too?" Cammy asked.

"It's safe there." Aeopie replied, not liking the intensity of the attention. "Where next?" She asked, looking at Jenny who seemed to understand how she felt.

"That way." The leader pointed.

* * *

"I know she practically lives off sweets." Raven intoned. "But there's no way we can let her eat all of that." The violet-eyed girl stared at the three huge bags of loot. Together they probably weighed more than the small Talynian herself did.

"It's quite a bit." Beast Boy mused.

"What a fun custom." Starfire remarked, floating in the air.

On her bed, still dressed in her costume, the exhausted girl was softly snoring. Her smile indicated pleasant dreams; the drool meant it was probably about the loot she'd collected.

"I didn't plan to manifest Rage though." The half demon sat beside the sleeping girl and ran her hand through the soft hair that was still dyed red.

"She wouldn't have hurt any of the kids." The shape shifter replied with a shrug.

"You can't know that." Raven replied, sounding worried.

"Yes I can. You seem to think you're the only one who can manifest rage, but that's far from the truth." Beast Boy turned to Starfire. "What emotion do you use to fire starbolts?"

"Righteous fury." The orange-skinned alien was following the conversation closely.

"Rage and fury are the same thing." The shape shifter said, turning back to Raven. "She only manifested because in that particular situation what she was feeling was righteous fury. She likes Aeopie, and always guards the portal into Nevermore when she's there so as to keep her safe. I have no doubt she would've scared those kids even more, but she wouldn't have hurt them anymore than Starfire would've. Or I would've for that matter. Do you honestly believe I was thinking straight when I became a T-rex to scare three kids?"

"Hrm. I see the comparison." The violet-eyed girl admitted with a smile. "It helps."

Beast Boy leaned down to give her kiss; it lasted a long time. When the two became aware of their surroundings again Starfire was gone. He looked at the sleeping telepath. She was sound to the world. The shape shifter grinned and looked at the empath who grinned lustfully back. With a last glance at the sleeping girl, she reach out and grabbed his arm, teleporting them to her bedroom.

For the next hour her emotions found an interesting way to display themselves. From the tower roof there were sudden explosions that shot up into the air and burst into multi-colored hearts, looking for all the world like a huge fireworks display. It took the rest of the Titans a while to figure out just what was going on. Eventually they determined the cause and, red-faced, all four of them decided to take another spin in the T-car. It didn't help. In the clear night the bright lights could be seen for more than a hundred miles. Everyone in Jump City knew something was up at Titan's Tower, and immediately the media went to work on figuring out just what it was.

* * *

End of Story.

The Titans are reunited, even if Beast Boy is still maintaining some distance; he does after all have a small kid to look after. The Gordanian threat is ended. Beast Boy and Raven are definitely a couple. This, it seems, is a good way to end the story. I had other possible endings, and even wrote one, but this I think is best. Simple and to the point. And given Halloween is coming up in a few days, I thought it a nice theme to end on.

Many thanks to those who read and review.


End file.
